A Purrfect Disaster
by dragonloverspirit
Summary: With an abusive mother like Renee, it's no wonder Bella was sent off to Forks, with her loving father. And of course, she runs into the mysterious Cullen clan of Washington State. But Bella isn't the average young woman, either. With a secret of her own, this one girl is about to turn the town of Forks upside down with a chain of unstoppable events.
1. Chapter 1

A Purrfecf Disaster

Bella POV

"Mom, I don't understand!"

"It's just better, Bella. I can't have you traveling all over with us. You'll be safe in Forks, with your father."

"But I don't want to go!"

"Please, don't make me say it."

"What? Say it!"

Her mother looked at her, annoyed and sad at the same time. "Bella, I don't want a freak following me and Phil around."

...

That was a month ago. Bella had mulled over the conversation a thousand times. Freak, she had called Bella. Her own daughter! Bella wished she could tell Charlie, but he didn't know. No one but Renee knew.

And so Bella moved to Forks, and had begun her life anew. She was getting to know the small high school population, and had taken a liking to some, including Angela and Ben. The others were either too snobby or too obsessed in hooking up with her. It was annoying, to say the least. All she wanted was to finish out her education, and move somewhere big and exciting, like New York, or maybe somewhere foreign, like Dublin. She had always wanted to see the beautiful rolling hills of her ancestral home.

"Hello? Bella? You're gonna drop your soda!"

Bella was pulled out if her daydream to realize her Dr. Pepper was close to spilling, since she had just left the cap off. She only had a split second to see this before someone managed to bump into said open bottle and spill it all over her. The sticky brown liquid got in everything, from her hair to her shirt, all the way to staining her brand-new shoes.

She jumped up and looked at the klutz with narrowed eyes. "Watch where you're going!"

The girl was small, pale, and extremely good looking. She had black pixie hair, and golden eyes that were currently staring off into space. A taller, lean muscled man with blonde hair stared back at Bella, his arms wrapped protectively around the small pixie. Before he could say anything, a huge bear of a guy with curly black hair appeared at the blonde guy's side and laughed, putting his arm around both of them.

"Sorry 'bout that. Alice sometimes spaces out. I'll get ya another soda, if ya want."

Bella quickly swallowed the sudden fury that had leapt up out of her and commanded her to crush the pixie. She simply said, as she picked up her trash and her backpack, "You can spot me tomorrow. I gotta go clean up; just hope this doesn't ruin my clothes." And with that, she turned and stormed out of the cafeteria, aware of the many eyes that followed her.

Besides wondering if she could get a pass to go home and clean up, all she could think about was what those three people had in common: their pale skin, and their golden eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

Edward POV

As the brunette stormed out of the cafeteria, I scanned the crowd, getting a read on everyone.

_Wow, the new girl sure has a temper_

_Ha, she doesn't know she just messed with the Cullens_

_Man, that was so hot! She don't take any crap!_

I watched as Emmett, Jasper, and Alice walked back to the table to join me and Rosalie.

"That human has some nerve!" Rosalie whispered, softer than any of the humans around us could hear.

"She's got guts, I'll give her that! Most humans don't like messing with us! I like her already." Emmett, always jovial, smiled in earnest and rubbed his hand through his hair.

I nodded, and turned my attention to Alice, who had just come out of her vision.

'Edward, that girl isn't human'

I stared at her, raising an eyebrow. Not human? She surely wasn't one of us; she had smelled like a human, and had warm, blood-filled skin, as I saw through her fleeting memory of their encounter.

_My vision, it was about her. Look._

I closed my eyes and shared her vision. It was of the brunette, just her face. She looked cute, her brown eyes and hair making her skin look like cream, her cheekbones perfectly balanced, her upper lip slightly larger than the lower. But then she closed her eyes, and grimaced, showing four very pronounced canine teeth. And when her eyes opened, they were a very deep, beautiful ocean blue.

I opened my own eyes, to see Jasper looking at me, measuring my emotions as well as his mate's. He was confused, wondering what was making the two of us so surprised, and Alice worried.

"How can she not be human?

"I don't know... That's all I saw."

"Not human?!" Rosalie hissed. "How the hell?!"

Emmett put his big arm around her, rubbing it gently. "That's right. Her scent was off, though. Like she was more of a flower than something to eat. I don't know about you, but I wanna get to know her!"

"Edward, you have... Biology with her next. Strike up a conversation. Try to find out what she is." Alice looked at me with concern.

Of course, if I had been paying attention, I could have read her mind, tried to find out that way. It looked like she was trying to hold herself back, just as maybe Jasper would have if he was tempted by someone's blood. I just hoped this new girl would be more receptive to me than she was to the others.


	3. Chapter 3

Bella POV

Bella had profusely scrubbed at her shirt and jacket, but only the stain on the jacket would come off. The shirt - a while collared blouse - was permanently damaged. She groaned and zipped her jacket up all the way, hoping she could find another blouse just like this one; she liked it more than any other.

As she sat down in her Biology class, she noticed that the seat she had taken was next to another golden-eyed boy, with disheveled bronze hair. He was studying her, and trying to do so without bringing attention to himself. Bella started to tap her nails against the black table top, quite loudly. When he looked away, she snuck a peek at him. He was deep in thought, a puzzled look on his face.

She studied his golden eyes. Those eyes that seemed like a carbon copy of the other three. And his skin, just like the others, was pale and perfect. Bella wondered what could have made it that way. No regular person would have-

And there it was. No regular person. He wasn't normal. He wasn't human. None of them were. Bella took a deep breath through her nose, and what came from it was the sweetest scent ever. It was a mixture of honey, lilac, and the summer rain drying on the grass in the bright sun. She relaxed, allowing her hands to stretch out and get really close to his clenched fist.

_maybe some music would loosen him up,_ she thought, and she started to hum the first verse of "Waiting for Superman" by Daughtry. When she looked at him from the corner of her eye, the mysterious man was smiling slightly and humming along. Bella took the opportunity and sang very quietly as they came up to the chorus:

_"She's talking to angels, counting the stars,_

_Making a wish on a passing car._

_She's dancing with strangers, falling apart,_

_Waiting for Superman to pick her up._

_In his a-a-a-aa-arms, yeah," _

Bella smiled and looked at him strait in the eye.

He surprised her, and possibly himself, by finishing the chorus in one of the most beautiful voices Bella had ever heard:

_"In his a-a-a-aa-arms, yeah,_

_Waiting for Superman."_

When he left the note to hang in the air, Bella smiled back. "You have a lovely voice, stranger."

"So do you, ma'am. Edward Cullen, at your service." He nodded his head.

"Bella." she replied. Such a gentleman Edward was, she thought. "Hey, tell your siblings I'm sorry about earlier; I'm trying not to be such a hot-head."

"My siblings? How did you know?" Edward went from happy and amused to serious in a split second.

"Oh," she said nonchalantly, "the eyes, the skin... You all look similar. Really cool, I think."

"Only Jasper and Rosalie are related. Twins. The rest of us are adopted." he lied smoothly.

Bella dropped her voice to such a faint whisper she knew only he could hear, and said, "I can see through the facade. I'm not completely normal either. All of us can meet up at your place to discuss this. K?"

Completely shocked, he simply nodded.

"Cool." Bella sat up and paid more attention as the teacher started a lecture about mitosis.


	4. Chapter 4

Edward POV

With a straight face I walked briskly to Emmett's Jeep, and placed my arm on the top, holding myself steady. She already knew! And she confirmed her abnormality as well, but didn't let me in on what she actually was. And to top it all off, I couldn't hear a single thing from her mind. It was as if she was the one speaker in the theatre not working. It frustrated me at first, but when her apparent love of music came through, I was able to relax and see what she was like, despite the mental silence. And then I became frustrated again, because she was still very secretive.

"Bro? You ok?" Emmett came behind me and tugged at my shoulder. I reluctantly turned, to see the rest of my supernatural siblings standing there, all mentally asking me what happened in Biology.

I sighed. "She... She knows. About us. And she really isn't human. But I never got the chance to ask her what she actually is. She's going to meet up with us at our house, is what she said."

"How-" Alice had begun, but stopped as a vision flashed through her head. Bella, being crushed between her rusty red truck and the human Tyler's out-of-control van skidding on the ice. Seconds later, the very van that would cause the accident came around the corner and started to skid.

"Bella!" I yelled out her name. She looked up and whipped her head in the direction of the van. As the vehicle crunched around the front of the truck, I saw Bella jump out of the way. Just after her foot left the vicinity of the wreck, the van came to a halt.

Every human in the vicinity stood still, shock and horror blaring from their thoughts. Despite the way most of them thought on a normal basis, I was relieved they all had a sense of protectiveness for Bella, though it seemed she didn't need it.

I was surprised when Alice took off (at human speed, of course) toward the wreck, with Jasper hot on her heels. I followed, while Emmett stayed behind to calm a fuming Rosalie.

"Bella, are you ok?" Alice looked her over, inspecting for injuries and for abnormalities.

Bella looked up, confused for a second before relaxing, taking in all of us. "Uh, yeah. Edward, you worried me for a minute. I thought something really bad was going to happen."

"You don't think a car wreck is really bad?" I demanded, gesturing to the now totaled van. I heard a groan from the driver's seat, and we were all reminded there had been a human in the wreck.

"Shit! Guys, help me get him out!" Bella went to the front of the van and started to push. The rest of us stood in confusion, except for Emmett, who quickly came over. She huffed and waved us over. "NOW!" I went to her side, and Jasper and Emmett went to the back. "On the count of three," she yelled, then under her breath she added, "look like you're struggling." Bella braced herself by the shoulder, and my brothers and I gripped the underside. "One, two, THREE!" We pushed, careful to not put our full strength into it, otherwise we might have sent the van flying into the woods behind the school.

As soon as there was room, Bella went to the driver seat door and tried the handle. "Dammit," she cursed under her breath, and she looked around before taking the handle completely off and letting it drop to the ground. My eyes widened, noting the strength. Her eyes met mine, and she nodded. Then she turned to Tyler, who was still groaning.

"You ok, Tyler?"

"Wh- uh, Isabella? Yeah. Are you-?"

"I'm fine. You're bleeding." At that I heard the others gasp. I held my breath, and Bella looked at me, confused. "Come on, can you undo your seatbelt?"

I heard him jiggle the buckle, but it wouldn't budge. "I'm stuck," he replied.

"Sit tight, then. Alice! You have a pair of scissors or somethin?"

Alice took them out and handed them to Bella without a word. Bella pried open the door and started hacking at the restraint. When it came undone, she sloppily caught Tyler as he fell. A very convincing look of struggle crossed her face.

"Would one of you guys-" huff. "help a girl out!"

I quickly grabbed the human by his torso, and she by his legs. We brought him a few feet away from the wreck, and laid him out on the ground. The ambulance had come by now, and may students had surrounded us, chaotically trying to see what was going on.

I put my hands on Bella's shoulders and looked her strait in the eye. "Are you ok?"

She smiled halfheartedly. "Yeah, Edward. Nothing like a little near-death experience to excite the day."

I laughed, relieved. This girl was getting more and more interesting as I got to know her. And I knew there would be more to her than I could ever dream. Well, if I could dream.


	5. Chapter 5

Bella POV

After the day had come to an end, Bella drove into the driveway of the house she now shared with Charlie. When she saw that he wasn't home, she gave the station a call and found out that he was staying late that night, so she told him that she was going to go to a friend's house to work on homework and wouldn't be home until late. Charlie agreed, and she decided running was the way to go. She took the truck out if the town and parked it in the woods just a ways off the road. Then, she started to track.

The smell of Edward was faint and airy, as if he had been around this place a month or so ago. She breathed in deep all the scents of the forest, and stretched out in the cold night air. Then she took off in the direction that smelled of Edward the strongest. As she ran, she tried to figure out what he and his siblings were.

They had pale skin, and golden eyes. That wasn't much to go on. She had noticed their sudden aversion to Tyler's injury, but for what reason she didn't know. There were two likely reasons: one, that they simply were worried for the human, which was odd behavior, or they were holding their breath because they could smell the blood.

The latter reason was more logical, so she immediately jumped to the assumption that they were vampires. The eyes threw Bella off, though, and it worried her. Normally vampires had red eyes. How was this "family" different from normal nomads, besides the fact that they were in such a large group?

The smell hit bella like a brick wall. Vampires, and lots of them. Probably getting close to their house. She ran just a bit faster, and burst into a clearing. In the middle was a gigantic three story home with a wrap around porch and glass windows everywhere. She was impressed. Then she spotted her target, sitting at a grand piano, and a beautiful melody reached her ears. She came closer, only to have Edward stop and look up at her, smiling.

"Keep going," she said softly.

He nodded, and finished out the song. Bella clapped slowly, and Edward stood to take a bow. Out of nowhere, Alice jumped on his back and messed with his hair. He zipped out of her grasp and to Bella outside.

"Come back here!" the pixie yelled.

"We have a guest, Alice. It's my job to welcome her."

Out from the front door came two vampires Bella had yet to meet. One looked extremely handsome and professional, with golden hair and butterscotch eyes to match. He was almost godlike. His mate beside him (Bella guessed because their hands were intertwined) was shorter and very curvy, with long dark brown hair.

"Welcome to our home, Isabella." the female said.

"Just Bella. But thank you ma'am. Your house is splendid!"

"Esme designed it," the godlike man bragged. "She's great at design, interior and exterior. I'm Carlisle." he held out his free hand. Bella took it firmly, and her vampire suspicions were confirmed by the strong, firm, cold grip. "I work at the hospital in town."

"Very cool. Is the human from earlier gonna be ok?"

"Yes. He walked away with only bruised ribs from the restraint, and the minor cut on his head. You did well, and, as I understand it, you are here to discuss your own... Talents?"

Bella nodded. "What would you like to know?" at that point, Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie had joined them all outside.

"Why did you come to Forks?" Carlisle asked politely.

"Well, my mother, Renee," she sneered the name, "got remarried, and he's a minor league baseball player. They were going to travel around a lot, but-"

Suddenly her phone rang. When she looked at the ID, she frowned. "Speak of the Devil. Hello?"

"Bella. Hi." Renee sounded hesitant. Bella heard the encouragement of Phil, the new husband, from over the phone. "Uh, how are you?"

"Fine." Bella answered curtly.

"I heard you were in an accident. You didn't... You know... Right?"

"No, I didn't. I just jumped out if the way. Another human got hurt, but it wasn't too bad."

"Good. At least you didn't feel like showing off. God knows everyone around you would have found you absolutely hideous."

The Cullens all stared, wide-eyed, incredulous and angry, Edward especially.

Bella snorted. "I'm not hideous. You just don't know what true strength is."

"True strength was having to put up with you and your... Condition, for so long. You were a horrible child."

Bella gritted her teeth, her muscles clenched. "If I was so horrible, why didn't you throw me out, or put me up for adoption?"

"Someone had to deal with you. You should be grateful."

Alice hissed. Emmett flexed his arms.

"So the only reason you called me was to make sure I didn't kill anyone, and bitch me out?"

"... Pretty much."

Bella's eyes began to twitch. Her whole entire body was shaking. She was trying to hold in her anger, and not break the phone in her hand.

"You know, I didn't ask for this, bitch. But I'm glad I am what I am. And glad I was smart enough to take care of things when you wouldn't. You think I was a horrible daughter? YOU WERE AN ATROCIOUS PARENT!"

"Don't you yell at me, you ungrateful brat! I raised you instead of tossing you aside. I think I deserve some more respect from you than this. Apologize."

"No." her denial was barely a whisper.

There was a pause. "...What? No?"

"I don't give respect to assholes LIKE YOU!" The phone was flicked out of Bella's hand, and the call ended. She took a step back and growled, her whole body vibrating. She held her chest with one arm. The other she used to wave the Cullens back. She knew it was too late. It was happening.

Jasper was holding his hands out to her, struggling to stand up. His nostrils were flared, his body tense. Almost as if he felt what she felt.

"Get back. GET BACK!" she stumbled backwards.

"Bella?" Edward looked worried, concerned.

"RRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHRRRR!" There was a splitting sound, and searing cold spread from her heart to her hands and feet. In a split second, she burst out of her small, human form and erupted into a gigantic white werecat. Her large, dexterous paws thudded onto the ground, and her tail lifted strait up. She yowled, and opened her now dark blue eyes, meeting the shocked faces of the vampires around her.


	6. Chapter 6

Edward POV

"Get back. GET BACK!" I watched as Bella stumbled back. Jasper was trying to reign in her anger, but it was too much. He was struggling to even stand up. What was happening?

"Bella?" I looked at her helplessly, feeling her uncontrollable rage through my empathic brother.

Bella roared, a roar devoid of any human sound. It was like the feral growl of a bear mixed with the scream of some large cat. I watched in horror as her entire body burst, bits of clothing flying everywhere, her backpack falling off her back. In the place of the person stood a huge, angry cat, with human like front paws and a long fluffy tail. She yowled, sending a chill down my spine.

There was a scream, and I looked back to see Rosalie on the ground, struggling to get away from Bella. When Bella looked at my sister, she screamed even louder. Memories, clear as day, assaulted my mind. Rosalie, a little girl in the early 1900's, screaming in fear as she ran away from a monstrous cat, who was out to get her. Pain as claws larger than her hand ripped across her back. Terror as she stared into the angry, primal, blue eyes of the beast.

"Rose! What's wrong?!" Emmett held his mate tight, fighting her struggle.

"No! Please, no, not the cat, not the cat, please!"

"Rose, baby, calm do-"

"Get away! Don't hurt me!" Rosalie managed to slip out of Emmett's grasp, but Jasper caught her and slammed her with a huge amount of calm. Rosalie's struggle quickly went away, and she shuddered, still terrified of Bella.

"Get her inside, Emmett." Jasper handed my quivering sister over to him, and Emmett ran upstairs.

There was a deep, confused new, and I looked at Bella again. She was sitting down, looking towards the door of the house. Then she looked at me. She was breathing hard, anger still in her eyes. I could now get a proper look at her. She was huge, taller than a draft horse and bigger than Emmett's jeep. Her fur was pure white, shining and sparkling in the dim moonlight. Her upper and lower canine teeth protruded out from her lips slightly, giving her a more wild appearance. Her front paws were more like thick, clawed hands, and they gripped the dirt. Her back paws looked the size of car wheels, and her tail was as long as her body.

I hesitantly moved toward her, ignoring the warnings my family was giving me. "Bella? You're ok. I'm sorry about Rosalie. I don't understand what that was about."

"It's ok. I'm actually surprised the rest of you didn't run, or attack me."

I stopped dead. Bella could talk in this form! Her voice wasn't light and pretty, like when she was human. It was deep, smooth, and the sound waves vibrated through me.

She got up on all fours. "Edward?"

I shook my head. "Sorry. I wasn't aware you could talk."

Bella smiled, revealing rows of sharp white teeth. "One of the many surprises I keep up my metaphorical sleeves."

Jasper got up off of his knees and breathed a sigh of relief. He took a couple steps forward, Alice shadowing him. Jasper studied Bella carefully.

Bella spoke to him softly. "It's ok Jasper. I don't bite. At least, not the people I like."

"So, this is what you are?" he asked.

Bella nodded. "I'm technically called a werecat. I honestly have no idea why I'm like this. But like I said before , I don't care. Besides Renee, you guys are the only ones who know about me. Not even Charlie knows."

"Let's keep it that way," Carlisle said. "And, Bella? Don't listen to Renee. You're not a freak. I promise."

Bella looked up at my father hopefully. "Yeah?"

Little Alice strode over to Bella and hugged her around her giant neck. "Promise. In fact, Bella, I think you're absolutely gorgeous. You smell fantastic!"

Bella looked at Alice with amused confusion, trying not to laugh. "I do?"

I took in a deep breath, and sure enough, her scent had changed from smelling like a bed of flowers to smelling like vanilla, hazelnut, and pine. It was wonderful. I got close enough to put my hand on her furry shoulder. As I ran my fingers through it, I shivered. It was the softest thing I'd ever touched.

"You do." I said. "And your fur is so amazing."

She looked herself over, and shrugged. "I guess I never noticed." She looked at me, staring deeply into my eyes. "Thanks."

There was a sudden shift inside me, a warm feeling that spread out from my heart to all of my body. I had the strongest urge to follow Alice and hug Bella. This strong young girl, who had lived with the horrible mother she had, was humble and easygoing. I had never seen anyone so amazing in my entire existence. And she was absolutely beautiful, in both physical forms.

Her cat ears perked up and she stuck her nose under my hand. "You ok? You seem a bit lost in your thoughts."

I laughed. "Yeah a little."

"Hey, look, I'm sorry about Rosalie." her ears fell and she made marks in the dirt with her claw. "I didn't mean to scare her. But it sounded like either she's deathly afraid of cats, or she might have had a run-in with someone like me."

"I'm wondering that, too," Esme added. "I've never seen her so frightened."

"I have." Carlisle showed me his memory of Rosalie, begging him to turn Emmett for her. The rest of them knew what he was referring to, and nodded. He continued, "I can talk to her, but I believe it's gotten too late for our meeting to continue. Charlie would have all of the town searching for you if you didn't get back home soon."

Bella nodded, but when she turned to leave she stopped. She held up a piece of her previous clothing and showed it to us. "I can't just run back inside the house butt naked."

Alice laughed, and took up the shredded clothing. "I have some similar clothes that may fit you. Well, when you are human, of course."

Bella nodded. She grabbed her backpack and groaned. The straps had been mutilated beyond repair. "Oh well. I needed a new one anyway."

I grabbed the old backpack, and before she could say anything, I ran upstairs to grab one of my leather book bags that Alice had gotten for me a few years ago at Christmas. The supple material was strong, and I doubted Bella could completely ruin it. The straps actually had clips that could come undone, so if she was wearing this while she transformed, it would simply snap off.

I transferred all of her things to the new book bag, and ran downstairs. Alice was probably back up in her room, getting the clothes. Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle were now next to Bella, petting her and marveling at her beauty.

A pang of anger went through me. I wanted to be over there! But then I stopped. I could just walk over there, too. So I did, handing Bella the book bag. "Here. It's one Alice had gotten me a while back. You could put it to better use than I could. The straps pop off, so if you ever transform with it on, it won't get ruined. Plus, its real leather."

Bella gingerly took it in her paw and studied it. She lit up, and then she turned to me and jumped. One second I was upright, the next I was flat on my back, with Bella the giant werecat standing above me. A deep rumbling sound came from her, in rhythm with her breathing. I laughed. She held her ears back in embarrassment.

"Sorry. I've just never received a gift like this." She got up quickly and licked the back of her paw before bringing it over her ear. She looked down and muttered, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Alice flashed over to Bella and handed her a bundle of clothes. "Charlie will ask where you got the clothes from. Just tell him they were a gift from us as a welcome to Forks present."

Bella looked at her, confused, but simply nodded. Then she addressed all of us. "Thank you for being so hospitable. And I'm sorry for what happened to Rosalie. Please, try to convince her I'm not gonna hurt her."

"We'll try, darlin," promised Jasper in his southern gentleman drawl.

Bella took one last peak at me, smiled, and then took up her new belongings and ran off into the moonlit night.


	7. Chapter 7

Emmett POV

As he sat there on the bed, rocking his mate back and forth in his arms, trying to sooth her, he listened to the conversation below. He was amazed at Bella's transformation when it happened, and he really wanted to get closer to her. But when Rosalie had screamed, it sent chills down his spine. He had never heard her scream before - her fear was usually hidden beneath snappy remarks and callous gestures. To most it made her look mean and cold, but he knew better. He knew she was scared to lose those she loved. And remorseful of the life she could never have.

Now, as he heard her sobs quiet down, he took her face in his hand and looked into her fearful eyes.

"Rose? Sweetie, you're ok. She's not gonna hurt you."

"The cat-"

"It was only Bella. She wasn't getting mad at you. It was that stupid mother of hers. I can't believe she would treat Bella like that!"

Rosalie nodded, and hugged Emmett tighter. "I... I'm sorry."

Emmett chuckled. "S'not me you have to apologize to. Bella's the one who you were scared of."

Rosalie sat up, taking deep breaths. Emmet waited for her to regain her composure before asking, "Are you afraid of cats?"

"No. Not normal ones. There was... When I was human, I had gotten lost, and a big white cat attacked me. I was old enough to know that is wasn't a normal cat, so I was still ok around them. But I had lots of nightmares." Rosalie bit her lip. "I thought that it was something I imagined. I never thought I would see one again."

"We did tonight. You can apologize tomorrow, at school. She'll forgive you, I know it."

"You think?"

"Definitely." He smiled a big goofy smile, and she laughed softly.

Just then they heard someone come up the stairs. They paused outside the door. "Rosalie? Emmett?"

It was Jasper.

"Come in."

Jasper opened the door and took a couple steps in. Emmett saw the calculating expression on his brother's face, and then felt a wave of calm. Rosalie stood up and faced Jasper, guilt written on her face.

"Jasper, I'm going to apologize to her tomorrow. I... I feel awful about the way I acted. You heard me when I told Emmett about my human memory?"

Jasper nodded. "We all did downstairs. Except Bella; she already left. But, she did leave this." He pulled out a small, simple cell phone, and handed it to Rosalie. "She never picked it back up after she transformed. You can call up her house phone and apologize now, if you'd like."

She thought for a moment, and nodded. Emmett was proud of her, and happy to hear Bella again. Without a word, Rosalie raced downstairs and the other two followed, so that all of Emmett's siblings and his parents were there. They waited as she searched the phone book for her home number and called.

It rang three times before there was a tired, annoyed voice responding. "Bella, why are you calling me when you're right upstairs?"

Emmett laughed. Rosalie shot him a look to shut him up.

"I'm sorry its so late sir, but I'm afraid Bella accidentally left her phone here. I was wondering if I could speak to her and let her know."

There was a quick pause. "Who's speaking?"

Rosalie straitened up. "Rosalie Hale, sir. I'm one of the kids Dr. Cullen adopted."

The pause was long this time. "So she was over at your house to do homework? I thought your family live a little out of town."

Edward whispered in her ear what to say. And she responded, "She and Edward have Biology together, and it was my understanding she needed help explaining the Calvin Cycle on her report. But I think they got through it well enough."

There was a pause, and then the Cullens heard him call Bella down. There was the sound of someone running down stairs, and an out of breath Bella answered, "Hello?"

"Bella, its Rosalie." She paused. "Can you go somewhere private?"

They heard Bella talk to Charlie for a minute before saying goodnight. "Its ok, Charlie just went to bed. I can stand outside and talk." There was the sound of a door opening and closing. "Ok, so what was it you wanted?" Bella's kind voice was so sweet. Emmett saw his little Rose relax completely.

"Um, well, you left your phone here," She started.

"Damn, right. Ok, I should probably wait until tomorrow to get it back, 'cause Charlie knows."

"Right. But, um, Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"I... I'm sorry for earlier. There was another werecat like you who attacked me when I was still human. A little girl. I had thought it was some sort of nightmare, and when you transformed, I couldn't help it. Can you forgive me?"

Bella didn't talk for a minute. Emmett was slightly worried. Did Bella not forgive easily? But then they heard her breathe out. "I forgive ya. I didn't realize there were more like me. What year do you think it was?"

Rosalie thought hard. "I only know that I was born in the 1920s. It was probably around that time."

"Ah, well, I don't know how long werecats live. That one could be long dead by now. Or off somewhere. But please believe me when I say I'm not a murderous monster. I'm more like you guys."

At that, they all smiled. Emmet was really liking Bella now. Rosalie answered, "We're all flattered."

"Cool. Hey, I know you guys don't sleep, but I do, and I'm getting a little tired. I'll catch up with you during lunch tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Goodnight, Bella."

"'Night." The phone line cut off. Rosalie smiled, relieved. Emmett went over and hugged her.

"I'm proud of you, babe."

Rosalie just smiled and hugged him back.

Edward cleared his throat. "Um, can I say something?"

Rose and Emmett separated and sat down on the nearby couch.

"Go on, Edward," Carlisle extended his hand, giving Edward the floor.

"Bella said she didn't know how long werecats live. I don't think any of us know what they are really like. And I doubt there's any legends of them."

"Well, there actually might be." Jasper stood up. "Where were you when the werecat attacked you, Rosalie?"

She shuddered. "We were in... Texas, I think. Houston, maybe. I remember there being a big bayou, and I could... Hear a lot of noise. Maybe we were near downtown?"

Jasper paced back and forth now, and it puzzled Emmett. "What are you thinkin, bro?"

"I had heard stories from the South American vampires I came across during the wars. The humans there have legends of great cat-people, and some of the vampires told me they had seen one or two in the Amazon. But it seemed far-fetched at the time. I wonder if one of those was the werecat who you encountered. But what was it doing so far north?" He paced some more.

Emmett figured maybe the werecat had been chased out by the vampires.

"You might be right, Em." Edward contemplated.

"What did Emmett think?" Jasper looked at him.

"Maybe, during the wars, the werecats were chased out of their home. The one Rose encountered must have been trying to find a new spot of territory, perhaps."

Jasper nodded. "Plausible. But Charlie is 100% human, we know this. So, either Bella was bitten and she was turned into one when she was very little, or..."

They fell silent. Could Renee be a werecat? Did she loath herself so much that she would hate her own daughter? Emmett flexed his arms, fists clenching. Rosalie quietly hissed, and Alice snorted. When Emmett looked at Edward, he could see him becoming livid with each passing second.

"I can't believe she would do that to her own daughter," Carlisle echoed Emmett's thoughts.

"We don't know for certain, Carlisle. But, it's likely. And if that's the case, Renee would be the only one to tell us what Bella will be like."

"I don't want her anywhere near Bella." Edward spat between clenched teeth. Emmett smiled.

"We may not have a choice," Carlisle countered. "She won't talk willingly to Bella, and not to anyone else about this matter. We have to get her here, if only for a little while."

"You know," Esme spoke up. "Its all up to Bella whether ir not to ask her mother."

"I'll ask her," Edward said. "Tomorrow."


	8. Chapter 8

Bella POV

Bella woke in the morning feeling excited. Now that she had let someone else know what she was, a huge weight was lifted off her chest. And she was excited to make actual friends. Friends that weren't weak and breakable. Friends who could keep up with her. Even though she hadn't gotten her answer the night before, she didn't mind. She was only relieved Rosalie wasn't scared of her anymore. Bella never liked scaring anybody she didn't mean to. And she rarely scared anybody.

She grabbed her new leather backpack and swiftly ran downstairs after getting ready for school. It was a little early, so Charlie was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal and reading the newspaper. Bella enthusiastically hugged him, kissed him on the cheek, and looked at the newspaper alongside him. "Any good news today?"

"Bella! How come you're up so early?"

She shrugged. "No reason." She took in a deep breath and smiled. "It just... Feels so good today."

Charlie set down his paper and studied Bella. "I haven't seen you this happy since you were only a year old, and you managed to smear icing on my cheek!"

She laughed. "Icing? Was it my birthday?"

"That it was."

She shook her head. "Maybe I was just trying to make the day better on my own. You know how I hate celebrating that day."

Now it was Charlie's turn to shake his head. "I will never understand that, Bells. You should love that day! Getting presents, attention, turning a year older, I mean, most kids love it. Why don't you?"

Bella pursed her lips before replying. "Well, I'm getting older, and right now it isn't so bad, but when I'm, like, fifty, I might not enjoy it. And, the whole 'giving the birthday girl all the attention' thing is kinda selfish. Sure its my birthday, but I would like to celebrate it with others equally. That day celebrates my life, but what about life in general? Its something that should be appreciated every day, no matter what. The presents I don't particularly mind." She grinned.

Charlie nodded. "Well, that's the kind if thing I love about you, Bells. You aren't selfish, not by a single bit. And I wouldn't want a daughter any other way."

Bella looked at her father lovingly and began to tear up. "Oh, stop it, Dad. You're gonna make me cry!" She hugged him as tight as she could without harming him, and she almost began to purr when she heard a knock at the door.

"I'll get it. Coming!" she called out. She skipped to the door and opened it a peak to look out. She saw Rosalie, her blonde magnificence, standing there, with Alice behind her.

"Hi, Bella. Is it ok if we come in?" Rosalie looked around behind Bella curiously.

This was unexpected! Bella paused before turning to call back to Charlie in the kitchen. "Dad, Rosalie and Alice Cullen are here. Can I let them in?"

There was a pause before he replied, "Uh, sure?"

She gestured inside. "Come on in, ladies. But, I thought we were just going to meet up at lunch?"

Alice bounced over and gave Bella a big hug, using more power that a human would. Bella liked that. "Oh, we just wanted to thank Charlie for letting you come over!" Alice bounded towards the kitchen, and Bella could hear her say, "Thank you for allowing Bella to come to our house last night, sir. We all really appreciate it."

"You're Alice, right?"

"Yes sir."

"Aw, you don't have to call me sir. For my Bella's friends, its just Charlie."

"Ok, Charlie."

Bella led Rosalie to the kitchen, and they saw that Alice had taken to sitting on the counter next to the sink. Rosalie quickly went to Alice's side. Charlie got up and shook Rosalie's hand.

"Rosalie, right?"

"Yes, Charlie."

"Well, I'm glad to meet you two. But, why are you here and not at school? Its very early."

Alice hopped off the counter and wrapped her arms around Bella's waist. "We thought we'd give Bella a ride today. Maybe hang out after school for a while."

Bella lit up. This was great! "I'm fine with that! Please, Dad?" she pleaded, sticking her bottom lip out and widening her eyes.

Charlie sighed and chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Just don't be home too late, ok?"

Bella squealed and jumped up and down. "Thank you!" She grabbed at her backpack and was almost out the door when she heard her father call her back in.

"Bella! Eat some breakfast first!"

Bella opened the cabinets and saw cereal. She opened up the fridge and didn't see anything to eat. She pursed her lips. "There's only cereal; I'll just grab something on the way to school. Then before I do anything with the ladies here I'll grocery shop. Yeah?"

Charlie nodded. "Have fun, kiddo."

She smiled real wide, grabbed her things, and said to Alice and Rosalie, "Let's make like a banana and split!"

Alice's giggle tinkled and dinged like a little service bell. Rosalie laughed and you could hear the slight sophistication of the early 1900s. Bella thought it was great.

The two vampires escorted Bella to a very nice silver Volvo S60R, and Bella gasped. She wasn't an aficionado of cars, but she did know that this car was quite a piece of machinery. She whistled.

Rosalie turned and raised an eyebrow. "You like?"

"Hell yeah! What's its 0-60?"

"5.5 seconds!" the blonde vampire stated proudly.

Bella nodded. "Nice!"

"You should see my Emmett's Wrangler. That thing is a total monster."

"You mean the Jeep I saw the first day?" Bella had remembered seeing that vehicle with wheels that looked more comfortable on a little monster truck than that Jeep.

"The very same. Whenever you come to the house next, I can show you all the modifications I made to it."

"Its a date, then!"

"Hey now, dont let Emmett catch you two!" Alice teased.

As they got into the car, Bella stuck her tongue out at the pixie. Rosalie laughed.

On the car ride to school, things got quiet. Bella didn't know what the other two were thinking, but she was bouncing with excitement. The Cullens were letting her show her true colors. Though the rest of the world still couldn't know what she was, having an entire family on the same level as she was... Bella couldn't have hoped for better.

As Alice pulled into the parking lot, next to a very familiar Jeep, Bella's concentration was broken when someone tapped on the glass. She looked up and saw Emmett, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Hey, Bella! I hear you have a date with my Rosalie and my Jeep."

Bella got out and snorted. "Yeah, after seeing this beauty, I wanted to know how much power is in your ride."

"Glad to know some people like cars. But, what's with the old beat up Chevy?"

Bella wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes. "Don't hate on a classic! That truck was a gift from Charlie. And if I had the money, I'd rebuild myself a 1963 Thunderbird, cobalt blue."

Emmett scoffed. "A Thunderbird's ok. But that old thing wouldn't last in this era."

"Whatever. But, how did you know about the Jeep thing?"

"A little bird told me." He nodded his head toward Alice, who held up her phone.

"Well, alright! I'll see you all at lunch!"


	9. Chapter 9

Edward POV

I watched Bella as she walked gracefully to her next class. Through the eyes of the students round her, though. Today I was... Nervous. Something I hadn't felt in what seemed forever. Every time I thought about Bella, it sent waves of excitement through my whole body. I started to feel them while Bella was at the house, even when she was in her cat-like form. And the idea of someone hating what Bella was... It made me sick. I wanted to know Bella more, get to see her personality. It was all because I couldn't read her mind. Those human minds I read every day of my eternal life were always predictable and boring. My family could hide things from me, they knew how. But Bella... I wanted to understand her, how she thought, why she did what she did. And I'd have to learn the way all humans did.

So when lunch came around, I made sure there was a seat for her amongst me and my siblings. Bella entered the cafeteria, and her expression brightened when I motioned at the open seat. She walked over and took the seat, and pulled out a freezer bag filled with other smaller sandwich bags. She pulled out a couple, and when she opened them, the smell hit us hard.

It was bloody meat.

"Whoa, what is that?" Emmett wrinkled his nose. "It smells."

"'Course it does. Its little bits of beef. I kinda figured you guys would want to see what kind of diet I have." In a quieter voice she asked, "The blood doesn't bother you, does it?"

I grinned. "Its been dead too long."

"Got it. Well, I'm mostly carnivorous, and I think that my body needs the protein more than a human does, but I do eat other things. This meal is a representation of the proportional amounts of each "food group" that's required for optimal health!" Bella smiled as she pulled out the rest of her meal. There were ten sandwich bags, five of which were full of rare beef tips. There was one with breadsticks, one with an assortment of veggies, and three with an assortment of fruits, white grapes being the most prominent.

I was stunned at the amount of meat. Humans would get severe constipation with that kind of intake. "Why so much meat?" I asked.

She thought for a minute. "I guess I'm more like the feline in me than it would seem. I don't sleep a ton, but I have to eat a lot. Mostly meat, because I'm so active. In fact, when I was younger, I was on the school's track, until Renee found out. She pulled me off immediately and never let me join a single athletic sport at all. Didn't want me to get angry one day and expose myself."

"Bummer." Emmett empathized. _This girl needs some more fun in her life, bro_he thought to me. I nodded. I thought about maybe persuading Alice to take Bella somewhere, but she beat me to it, having a vision of her, Rosalie, and Esme all having a blast with Bella. They were on the boardwalk of Port Angeles, with shopping bags on their arms.

"Bella, how would you feel if Rosalie and I brought you to, say... Port Angeles, and showed you around? We could bring our mother, Esme, with us." Alice hopped up and down in her seat. Jasper laughed at the enthusiasm his mate was nearly exploding with, and wrapped his arm around her. I saw Rosalie smile in anticipation.

_I was thinking about going shopping, anyway, _Rosalie considered. _I wonder what kind of boutiques are in Port Angeles...?_

Bella smiled and grasped one of Alice's hands tightly. "I'd be honored. I'd get to really know Esme, and I've never been to that place. Thanks, Alice."

If my heart was beating, it would have skipped a step. I felt as if I was in the presence of a benevolent goddess. Bella seemed selfless and humble, despite the treatment she'd suffered. I wanted to hug her, and my arm flexed toward her, since she was sitting right next to me. But then I caught Jasper's thoughts, and they stopped me dead in my tracks.

_Well, brother, it looks like you've caught he Love bug,_he smiled at me, hugging Alice tighter.

Love? Bella? I looked at her, and my cold heart felt like it was warming up. My hand, now hovering in the middle of the space between me and her, trembled, and I dropped it to my side. Bella was now in some sort of conversation with the others, laughing and smiling and having a wonderful time. I was tempted to brush my fingers against her cheek, to see if it was soft like a human's skin. I grabbed one hand with the other and laced my fingers together.

Jasper was amused with my internal struggle, and he thought to me,_You shouldn't fight it. You've been alone so long, it would be wonderful to see you with someone._

I shook my head once, ever so slightly. The others weren't paying enough attention, but I still wanted to make sure. I pushed feelings of nervousness toward him.

_My brother, the mind reader, nervous? What, scared she's going to reject you? Read her mind, see what she thinks._

That was just it, though, I couldn't! I looked down at the floor, then at Bella, and shrugged a little. His eyes widened.

_You can't read her mind?_

Nope. I shook my head again.

_Well, that just gives her equal ground. It's not like a relationship needs a mind reader for it to work. You'll just have to find out her feelings toward you on your own. Whether or not she'll reciprocate your affection is up to her, but I'd say last night was a big indicator._

I raised an eyebrow. What was he trying to say?

_She revealed to us her darkest secret, and now she's become more extroverted than introverted. She was very happy about the backpack you gave her that she now practically holds onto it for dear life! And that odd sound she made when she pinned you on your back? Million to one sje was purring._

He showed me his memory of the incident, where I was flat on my back, dwarfed by Bella in her gorgeous feline form. The deep rumbling sound came from her chest, and was in time with her long breaths. Bella was smiling, her tail up a little ways above her back and gently waving from side to side.

She was purring! It had been only once in my vampire life I could recall hearing the purr of any cat: I had been passing by an alleyway in Chicago on my first night as a newborn, and I heard the odd sound. When I turned back to gaze into the alley, I saw a mother cat with five kits nursing from her, massaging her swollen belly for more milk. The mother cat was showing her affection for her little ones, and her purr was pretty loud. I had simply gazed from afar, amazed at how much love I could hear from that one, primitive sound.

I didn't know animals were supposed to have a disposition towards vampires at the time, so I inched closer. The mother cat looked up and stared right at me. I could never really understand the mind of any animal, then or now, but I could see she never thought I was a threat, just another curious thing, looking at her kits. She twitched her tail, like inviting me over. I slowly approached them and sat on the alley floor. The blood at the time was hard to resist, but the smell and my curiosity had kept me at bay. I set my hands down on either side, and waited.

The cat, after her kits were through, got up and picked up one scrawny kit in her jaws. She padded over and looked at me expectantly. I slowly raised one hand, and she set the kit on my palm. The tiny brown and white tabby wobbled, and mewed, scared it couldn't feel its mother. I very gently stroked its back, and mimicked the odd sound I had heard. The kit settled down, and I was able to really see him. The tiny, fragile animal was like me, in a sense, or I like it. We were blind to the world we were now born in, and we must learn to trust and accept every surprise that came along. I offered the kit back to its mother, and the cat rejoined her sleeping brood. I left that night, hopeful and incredibly happy.

I returned to the present, and Bella herself was looking at me; the table had gone silent, even with a few amused looks.

"What's going on, Edward? You seemed lost in your thoughts."

I relaxed myself and gently smiled. "Something like that. What day did you guys settle on going out in the town?"

"This Saturday." Alice piqued up. "You guys can go hunting, and do other guy stuff."

Bella snorted. "What would they do, go to a stripper bar or something?"

Rosalie rolls her eyes. "Don't give Emmett the idea."

"I'm anxious to find some grizzlies, little kitty cat!" Emmett reached over to Bella and messed up her hair. She batted his hand away and began meticulously fixing it. "Ever hunted a grizzly before?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before replying, "Once. Actually, it wasn't a grizzly, it was a black bear. But she was mad enough to fight like a grizzly. Her cubs had just died, and she was looking to blame someone, even though the real culprit - another black bear - had gotten away. I was minding my own business, and she barreled strait into me. Ruined a perfectly good Hells Bells shirt. She was roaring her cubs names like a battle cry, and I tried to stop her from her delusion, but she wouldn't listen. So I put her out of her misery. I think she may have had rabies, too, so I burned the body, to prevent it from spreading."

Jasper looked at Bella curiously. "It sounds as if the bear was speaking English or something. What do you mean by all that?"

"Its not hard to understand bear once you have the accent right. Its all in the amplitude." she dismissed Jasper's question, flipping back a lock of hair and starting to work on a tangle in another.

"So, you're telling me you can understand animals?" Emmett leaned over the table, intrigued. Rose and Alice's eyes widened.

"Duh, I'm part animal, it makes sense!" She leaned back and munched on a tangerine slice.

"Does that mean I can talk to corpses? Sweet!" Emmett pumped his fist in the air.

Bella shook her head. "No one can talk to the dead, silly. They're dead and gone; no soul to talk to."

"So you think the dead don't have souls?" I was interested in where the conversation was going.

"Nope. When you die, your soul is parted from your body. It goes wherever it is destined to go, and depending on your beliefs, it can go to your own personal nirvana."

"You believe in heaven?" Bella and I could have been alone in the middle of a raging forest fire and I wouldn't have cared.

She yawned, and when she began to speak the bell rang. "I think Edward and I shall finish this conversation in class. Come on, sucker." she emphasized the last word, dumped her trash away, and walked out the cafeteria, looking back once to see if I'd follow.

I got up immediately and followed her to Biology. Emmett snickered and whispered "lover boy" under his breath. I ignored it, knowing full and well it wasn't definite. Yet...

After the teacher left us to ourselves, I turned and waved my hand in front of her blank stare. "So, where were we? On our conversation from lunch?"

"Hmm? Well, you're the one with perfect memory. You tell me." She looked at me slyly and held her head in her hands.

"I believe I had asked you if you believed in heaven."

Bella became serious, staring down at the floor. Even without the ability to hear her thoughts, I could see the gears turning in her head. Then she looked at me with the most grave expression I'd ever seen on anyone, and whispered, "If I tell you, you have to promise no one else finds out. Not unless I tell you its ok. And I won't repeat this."

"I swear on my existence." I vowed, just as serious as she was. I would never betray her trust.

She took a deep breath, and settled herself. Her voice was too soft for the humans around us, but just enough for me. "I was pretty young. I hadn't turned yet. I was with Renee in Phoenix, at Encanto Park. She was showing me the birds, and I was having a blast. Then I remember being picked up and taken from her. She screamed and I was thrown. I hit the main gate entrance and blacked out. There was a peaceful feel to where I was and when I opened my eyes I was standing in the middle of a beautiful meadow. It wasn't in Phoenix, the trees were different. More green. I saw Gran -my grandmother. She held me and told me this place was real special. She told me one day I'd go there, and I'd meet someone who'd change my life. The thing is, my Gran had been dead for a while. I thought I was dreaming, but Gran told me I was... Dead..." Bella took a shaky breath before continuing, still in a whisper. "I didn't believe it, so she told me to look up. I saw someone, out in the middle of the meadow, and they were sparkling so brightly I couldn't tell who they were. They held out their hand, beckoning me. Gran told me that it was my angel, an angel who lived on Earth. This angel needed me as much as I needed them. And I needed to go back. I asked her how, and she told me that it would be painful, but it was my time. Then I felt cold. Colder than freezing, colder than sub-zero, colder than space. And when I woke up, Renee was there, in shock, and I had turned for the first time. I was scared, but then I felt Gran behind me. She told me not to be afraid, to think of my angel. I did, and I turned back into my human self." Bella put one hand in her hair. "I'd only been dead for a minute or so, but it had felt longer. Renee told me I had to never turn into what I had in front of anyone. It was too hideous. I learned to cope with my powers, but I figured that if angels lived on Earth, how bad could I be?" A single tear rolled down her cheek.

My eyes widened. I took one hand and, ever so gently, and wiped the tear off of her. She looked up, more tears filling her eyes.

My phone buzzed. It was Alice.

:she's going to break down. Get her out of there.:

I got up and went to the teacher's desk. "Sir?"

"Yes, Mr. Cullen?"

"Bella needs to be excused, she's not feeling so good." I gestured to Bella, who was shaking. Hard. I needed to get her into the woods.

"What is bothering her?"

I had no time for this! "She's been through some family problems, and she may not be coping right now. I should probably go with her."

He nodded, only minutely concerned for Bella. "Go on."

I went over to Bella and held her by her shoulders. "Come with me, let's get you out of here."

"H... Hurry..." she stammered, shivering and shaking.

I escorted her out into the hallway, but that's where she stopped. She was shaking so much she couldn't walk. I picked her up bridal style and carried her out and into the forest nearby. I took off running as fast as I could, stopping a mile or two away from the school. She was now practically vibrating, so I set her down. She was sputtering nonsense, crying and growling at the same time. I knew if she transformed, she'd destroy her clothes. So I quickly undressed her, ignoring her body. When she was fully undressed I backed off, and yelled to her, "Bella, let it go!"

And let go she did. She exploded into her other form, yowling. She spun around, with now golf ball sized tears streaming from her eyes and either splashing down to the ground or disappearing into her fur. She tore up the ground beneath her, and she was getting more and more hyped up, her breathing becoming short and quick, her heart accelerating to a dangerous speed. Werecat or not, any faster and she would have a heart attack. I had to calm her down.

"Bella! Bella, look at me! Please, stop! BELLA!"

She stopped, looking right at me. Her lips trembled, and she pulled them back to reveal her fangs. She held her ears back and crouched low, tail tucked between her legs. She looked terrified.

I knew she was unstable, I knew she was dangerous, I knew she could kill me; but I had to do something. I didn't know the limits of her kind, and she probably didn't either.

So, without hesitating, I went over to her and hugged her. Tightly, so that if she tried anything, she wouldn't harm me or herself. Bella seized up, only breathing. I wished Jasper was there, so he could help me, but I was on my own. So I soothed her as I thought Esme might soothe me or my brothers.

"Shh, Bella, its ok, I'm here with you." I stroked the fur along the back of her head and neck. "Renee isn't here to hurt you, and you aren't dead. You're not hideous." I kept going like that for several minutes, petting different places like her cheek, her shoulder, her back, and the back of her neck. Eventually her breathing slowed and her heart returned to normal. She had now lied down on the ground on her side, and I leaned up against her side, moving up and down with each giant breath she took.

After maybe ten minutes of this silence she stirred and looked back at me. "Edward?" Her voice consumed my body entirely, coming from the sound and the vibrations in her chest.

"Yes Bella?"

"Thank you. I think I'm ready to go back now."

"Oh? Are you sure you're ok?"

"Yeah. I haven't really been ok for a long time, but... I am now. Maybe because you and your family have helped me. You all are so kind."

I stood up and so did she. I took her massive head in my hands and stared deeply into those ocean blue eyes of hers. I whispered, "My family and I understand the supernatural difference, and we embrace it in you, Bella. But not a one of them can truly empathize with you, feeling like a... Monster, except me. Well, maybe Jasper, too."

Her ears perked up and her eyes brightened. "Doesn't Jasper feel emotions?"

"Took a wild guess?"

"Actually, I kind of sensed it."

I raised my eyebrows. "You must have the same power my adopted cousin Elizar has. What else gave it away?"

"That first night, he was so angry... Was he trying to help me?"

I nodded.

"Don't let him try again when I get too far. It's best just to let me transform and deal with it that way. By the way, did you undress me? I don't see shredded clothes everywhere."

I walked over to the tree I had set the clothes next to and pulled them out. "I can give you some privacy, if you want."

She grabbed the clothes in one massive paw. "You don't have to leave, just turn around. And, uh, can you maybe... Hum that piano song you had played?"

I turned around and hummed the requested song. As I did, I heard nothing but the rustle of the clothing. I had gotten to the middle point of the song when she said, "Ok, you can look now."

I did. She looked radiant, smiling shyly and standing in the brightest part of the little pocket of forest we were in. "So, we headed back to class?"

"First, lemme ask you this: when you took off my clothes, what were you thinking? And be honest, now. I don't like liars." she threatened.

"I just knew you'd be upset that your clothes were torn. So I didn't pay attention to anything except just getting them off you."

"You didn't take advantage?"

"Absolutely not! I never take advantage of girls, ever!"

She smiled. "Ok, then, lets get back. Wanna race?" she taunted.

I raised an eyebrow. "You think you can take me?"

"Its just a little friendly competition, sir. No blood, no foul." she readied herself. "Three, two, one!" And she took off.

I raced after her, surprised at the speed she could attain. It was just a bit less than me, though, so I kept my speed down to her level, and we laughed and yelled as we jumped around trees and over fallen objects. I was really enjoying this, this simple fun. And I knew I had made her feel better. I wondered briefly how long it had been since she'd been this happy. I realized that Jasper and Emmett were right, I was in love with this girl. She'd changed me, made me feel the happiest I'd ever felt. And I vowed to do the same for her. Forever.


	10. Chapter 10

Bella POV (now in first person)

That day I'd lost control, that day I'd revealed my experience of death, was a day that both scared me and made me feel ecstatic. I was scared that I would hurt Edward, rip him to shreds when I had transformed. Instead I had locked myself down, only allowing the terror to get through. And then he had done what no one had eve done before. He'd hugged me in werecat form.

At first I didn't know what to do; I was too freaked out to understand. But when he started to soothe me, I thought of Gran. He was being so sweet and forgiving, like her. I was already crying, so my tears of joy mixed with that of the ones before. I was so... Warm and happy. I was thinking during a period of complete silence we had, and my thoughts strayed quite a bit, evolving into some pretty heartfelt fantasies. Edward hugging me again, or us sitting somewhere, with him twisting my hair in his fingers, or maybe even kissing me.

That's when I checked myself. Kissing? When in the hell did I think about kissing anyone like that? I made sure not to reveal my panic, so I concentrated on breathing. I put the thoughts aside and told myself I'd think about it later.

It was now Saturday, the day I got to shop around with the Cullen girls. I was anticipating their arrival, and when they did it was in Rosalie's BMW M3, a beautiful convertible, in red. Alice was standing up in the back, whooping and hollering for me to get in. Esme smiled sweetly, and when I got to the car she hugged me. Rosalie was driving, wearing giant dark glasses. She looked at me and asked, "Ready to go?"

"As I'll ever be. Hit the gas, hot shot!"

I barely clicked the harness when she shot off. We arrived in Port Angeles in no time. We had a blast mostly, shopping around the various outlets. I was embarrassed I couldn't pay for the stuff I got, but Esme assured me that she was more than happy to pay, and I could consider them gifts to welcome me. I made sure they stopped at the bookstore, and I was in heaven. Alice picked up a book in the history of the civil war, for Jasper. Rosalie picked up a current copy of the encyclopedia of automobiles, sports car edition. And Esme bought a first edition copy of Frankenstein. I was a little jealous, but then I bought a first edition copy of Dracula, and began making cheesy jokes, much to the amusement of the others.

It was dark when we walked out, and the car had been parked down the street in between some warehouses, in the shadow. We were laughing and giggling when Alice stiffened up. At the same time, some men rounded the corner behind us and were loud and drunk sounding.

"Alice, what's wrong?" Esme shook Alice gently. She came out of her little episode and looked angry.

"There are human men that are going to try and rape us. There are some that are going to be in front of your car, Rose," she said in a whisper.

"Let them try!" Rosalie whispered. The men behind us were getting closer, and I could hear the men in front of us laughing and boasting about something.

"Wait," I interrupted. "You can see the future?"

"Sometimes, but yeah. I'll tell you more later. We-"

"Going ssomewhere, ladiesss?" A blonde man rounded the corner and stopped us, two other guys behind him. The two men behind us came up and grabbed Esme and Alice around their throats. I whispered, just low enough for their ears, and too quick for the humans, "Struggle but don't use your strength. I'll handle this."

They widened their eyes and looked terrified. Rosalie and I put our backs together. I snarled, "What do you want, you asshole?"

The leader smiled stupidly. "I think you know what we want, my pretty little thing. You girls look so gorgeous..."

"Touch us and you're dead!" Rosalie said, giving her voice a bit of a shakiness to it.

The one guy with a brown haired buzz cut smiled impishly. "We only want the in-out, simple enough, me chumblies. But we'll take you rough, won't we, my brothers?" he spoke in a poorly done British accent, and even though his language was strange, I recognized it from "A Clockwork Orange". It was meant to intimidate us.

I wasn't fazed. In fact, something about what he said woke up something deep inside, it stirred and uncoiled, a creature I had knew once a long time ago. It took hold of my kindness and strangled it. Suddenly I wanted my beast to come forth, so I took out my Nokia Lumia and held up a finger. The guys, too drunk to understand, just stood there. I got to my music, and then handed it to Rosalie, who stared at me in confusion. I told her, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Turn on that song for me, would ya? I got something special to show you all." I started to strip. The guys whooped in anticipation. I smiled seductively.

"What are you doing?!" Alice hissed.

"Just watch." The leader licked his lips at my naked body once I was done undressing. I shivered, not only because of the chill that passed through my body, but with a hunger that could only be satisfied by the terror the humans would give me. I began to shake, and I laughed as the hard core song, "Monster" by Skillet, began, my laugh growing louder and deeper and more demonic as I transformed, landing on all fours. The humans looked at me in horror, and this time I liked it. No, I LOVED it! I growled, showing off my huge canine teeth, and one of them pissed themselves. I opened my mouth wide, smiling like crazy, and then roared.

My roar was nothing similar to the feline yowl or scream. In fact, it was more like thunder and the roar of a bear, mixed with an avalanche of boulders and a roaring fire. The humans screamed, either running away or falling in their attempt. The leader and two of his lackey stayed, those who were in front of me. The ones who where holding Alice and Esme hostage ran for it.

"Rosalie, don't let those two get away," I purred. "Its not much fun without the whole gang."

Quick as a flash, Rosalie had them by the scruff of their necks, one crook in each arm. She looked scared herself, but she stood her ground.

"Knock them out. Except for this one," I crooned, picking up the blonde haired leader by his throat. "I'm not dont with him yet."

"Help me!" he screamed. I covered his mouth with my thumb. Alice and Esme took care of the ones sputtering like insane babies, while Rosalie got the two in her hands. Once they were out, I motioned to one guy's jacket.

"That one is carrying acid in his pocket. Get the microdots and give them two each. Make sure they eat them. We can have their sight of me blamed on hallucinations. Give this one three. He's going to need it."

Alice silently did as was instructed, but Rosalie and Esme just stood there, hugging each other. When the humans were fully drugged up, I had Alice spread them across the alley, with their beer cans in or near their hands. Then I started to make for the tree line.

"Bella, are you insane?! What are you going to do to him?" Now it was Rosalie who looked worried, as well as Alice. Esme trembled beside her adopted daughters.

"I'm just going to give the police a good story to tell. Five drunk friends tripping on acid took a stroll and had a run in with a wild, rabid cougar. This one died, of course, but the others didn't know what was going on, and they survived."

The man in my arms now screamed through my furry thumb and tried kicking and wiggling himself free. But my grip tightened. I walked to the edge of the forest, and threw him against the side of a warehouse. He screamed once before I unsheathed my claws and raked them across his throat. He gurgled, and then collapsed. I went to work on his body, slashing here and there, taking a bite or two out of him, and making him almost unrecognizable. I left a particular tattoo intact, so he could be identified, but otherwise he was a complete mess. I licked the blood from my lips, and turned to the other three.

I would have thought they would have gone crazy from the blood, seeing as it was practically everywhere, but they were huddled together, terrified. I stood tall on all fours, and my tail swished gently from side to side.

"What's the matter?" I asked them.

"You... You killed him..." Esme trembled.

Something in her voice made my heart flutter, and instantaneously, the creature strangling my soul was beaten down, and it curled up in the abyss. I felt drained, and when I smelled the blood, really smelled it, I turned and looked again. The sight of the human's mangled body made my head spin, and I retched up everything I'd just consumed. My whole body shook, and in felt scared again. I started hyperventilating, thinking about how much trouble I was in. If Renee ever knew...

"Bella! Bella, hey, please don't do this, come on," Alice petted my bloody leg. "You need to get rid of the body, or drag it into the woods. We can tell Charlie we found it, and we can forget about this. Alright?"

I nodded. I dragged the body into the woods, making sure to leave a blood trail and my bloody paw prints. I knew Charlie and the other cops wouldn't think much about the size of them, but just write it off as a freak accident. When I came back my sick mess was gone, the other four guys were arranged together up against the wall, and Rosalie and Alice were in the car with the shopping bags. Rosalie held up the bundle of my clothes.

"We'll meet you at the house, guys," Alice said. "Bella, Esme will lead you toward our house, and you can clean up in the river on the way. Everything will be alright. I promise."

I simply nodded, too shaken to speak. Rosalie took off, and Esme patted my enormous leg.

"Come on, sweetie, let's take a walk in the woods. You'll calm down, and get all clean."

She walked, at a human's pace, into the tree line, and I silently followed. For about an hour, it was quiet. I knew I had frightened the three of them to death - no pun intended - but I had thought they would have run away, or worse. Instead, they had cleaned up what I had done, and they were helping me still. Even Esme, who had been terrified not minutes ago, was now gently escorting me to the house. I could hardly stand, my arms and legs felt like jelly as I walked.

There was no way I thought I deserved this kindness, but I gladly accepted it. I craved it, ever since I felt the rejection from Renee. I was never really close to her, but I had envied girls with loving moms. They got so much more than I did growing up. I was different than everyone else, but I realized if shouldn't have mattered; a mother is supposed to love her child, no matter what. Renee never was like that.

Renee was never a true mother.

I looked over to the beautiful vampire beside me. "E... Esme?" Even with my low bass tone voice, I still sounded like a timid little kit.

She looked over and smiled back at me, if a bit hesitant. "Yes, dear?"

I stopped myself. I didn't know what to say to her. I instead asked, "How much longer until we get to this river Alice spoke of?"

"Its not that far off, if we ran. Would you be ok with that?"

"Yes, I would."

She gestured for me to take off first. When I ran, I didn't push it, knowing Esme in a million years would never be able to keep up. So when she came up beside me, smiling and joyously enjoying the run, I smiled back. After maybe three minutes, she halted, and when I tried to mimic her, I skidded into the river, cold water splashing up around me and into my fur. It didn't feel freezing like it would have to a normal human. It felt really nice, and I gladly rolled in the water, letting all the blood wash away.

When I was done, I got the courage to ask Esme my original question. "Esme? Why... Why aren't you afraid of me?"

She looked at me so sweetly and lovingly before responding. "I was afraid, for a moment. You are a very powerful creature, Bella. More so, perhaps, than us vampires. But I am far more compassionate, and I really feared for the human."

My ears pulled back. "The human? But-"

She held her hands up. "Hold on. I only meant that his terror became my own. Rosalie and Alice probably were horrified at what you had done, but we remembered that it wasn't fair of us to blame you. In an act of fury, you did what any animal would do. It was a mistake many of us make; only Carlisle and Rosalie have completely abstained from human blood. Even I've slipped once or twice." she looked embarrassed at the end.

"But you guys aren't animals."

"True. But you, Bella, must also remember that you aren't a base animal, either. For you, it is the same struggle we deal with - learning control. We can't teach you, because we don't know how it feels to be you. But we can try to keep you calm, remind you who you are. We can help."

I took two steps toward her and put my massive head over her shoulder, purring loudly, showing my wordless gratitude, for how could I say thank you in a stronger way?

She put her small arms around my neck and ran her fingers through my fur. "I'll take that as you accepting our offer. Come on, the others want to speak to you."

She led me to the house again, where they were all standing out on the front lawn. Edward bounded over to me and petted my cheek. I warmed instantly, purring and closing my eyes. I felt relaxed.

"Bella, we know what happened. I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"And I'm sorry I didn't see those creeps coming," Alice added.

Without opening my eyes I asked, "You see the future, right?"

"Yep. It's not definite, though. The visions come to me almost randomly, unless I really look for someone. And split second decisions are unpredictable. That's why I didn't see the humans."

"Its ok, Alice," I said. "It was... It happened. I should apologize to you all. I was the one who messed up."

"We forgive you, Bella." Carlisle joined Esme beside me and Edward. "Esme explained that we all make mistakes. As for the body, we already contacted the police, left an anonymous tip. No one can trace that call. They'll find the human and it will be reported as an animal attack." The golden haired leader smiled warmly. "We understand you never had a good relationship with your mother."

I involuntarily spat and hissed. "Renee." I said the name like a curse.

He nodded. "And because Charlie doesn't know about you, you are welcome to come here and be with us whenever you'd like. Here, you can express yourself however you'd like, without restraint. We'd like our home to become your second. What do you say?"

I stared, wide eyed, at everyone around me. They laughed or grinned, amused. I couldn't contain my excitement. I shook, giddy and filled with energy. They wanted me! They wanted to help me! They wanted to be my friends!

Jasper cautiously took a few steps back. "Guys, back off, she's going to explode!"

Everyone flashed over to where he was, apprehension clear on their faces. They giggled or laughed as I proceeded to whirl and twirl and bounce and run around, meowing my pleasure and absolute joy. I rolled in the dirt, sprang up, ran to the nearest tree, furiously climbed up, and launched myself from it, landing in front of them and sending up a cloud of dirt.

"I accept! Yes, thank you!" My mouth opened in a wide, toothy grin, eyes popping open and ears up. Emmett, the big dummy, collapsed from the intensity of his laughter. Rosalie shook her head.

"Oh my god, that was... Ha! That was so awesome! Bella, you are the coolest non-vampire I've ever met!" he stood up, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. He put his hand up. "High five!"

Not thinking, and unable to control my happiness, I slapped his hand, and all of his body too, and sent him sailing into the rest of them. Like bowling pins, they all collapsed in a dog pile.

"Ah, Emmett, get yo butt outta ma face!" Alice yelled, muffled under Emmett. Jasper and Edward laughed as they untangled themselves. Rosalie and Carlisle were stuck under Alice, and Esme had gracefully stepped aside, unharmed.

"Geez, I'm so sorry! I didn't think you were that weak, my bad!" I said, torn between embarrassment and laughter.

Immediately Emmett was up in my face, looking tough. "I ain't weak, dammit!"

"Watch out there, brother. I don't think you're in her league," Jasper laughed, getting up and wrapping an arm around a disgruntled Alice. I heard her murmur something about the dirt on her clothes.

"Naw, man, she ain't in MY league! Come on, Bella, lets see what you got!"

My eyes narrowed and I smiled playfully. "Bring it on!"


	11. Chapter 11

Edward POV

As I watched big, brawny Emmett square up against even more massive, feline Bella, I remembered the look on Alice and Rosalie's faces as they drove up to the house earlier. They were still feeling the terror they had experienced, watching a fully grown human male being torn apart by Bella. They described the massacre to Emmett and Carlisle, knowing full well the implications if the body had been just found. We called the police station and left the anonymous tip, describing the tattooed man as being attacked by a cougar. Jasper went out, found one, and crippled it, leaving it near the scene. The police would find it, kill it, and no one would be the wiser.

After seeing Bella in action, I was worried. Not for me, but for her. She was unstable, feeling extreme emotions and not being able to reign them in. We had all agreed that it was best to help her in any way we could. That, and Jasper and Emmett were fully convinced I was head over heels in love with her.

I had admitted to myself that Bella was now a central part of my life, but I wasn't going to say I was in love. She may not have even noticed my interest, being bombarded with such cruelty from her own mother, and the struggle of control. I didn't want to force anything on her, as she was already in a delicate state.

"You ain't so tough, kitty cat!" Emmett taunted, circling Bella. She flattened her ears, still smiling, and hissed. "Your claws are made of paper, your teeth are like little nubs, you-"

One millisecond Emmett was upright, the next, he was sailing into the forest, where about thirty seconds later we heard the crack of either him hitting the ground, or possibly a boulder. Bella looked like she hadn't moved an inch. Emmett emerged a minute later, wobbling around, dizzy. Rosalie rushed over and cradled him in her arms as he collapsed in the dirt.

"Momma, I don't wanna go out today." Emmett whined, dazed and confused.

Jasper and I burst out laughing, the situation being too hilarious. Alice giggled. "I warned ya, bro!" Jasper gasped through fits of laughter.

"He won't understand a word we say!" I countered, blocking out Emmett's confused jumble of nonsense. "Bella knocked what brains he had left out of his head!"

Bella tilted her head to the side, still amused. "Lightweight." She licked her right paw and brushed her ear back.

Jasper stood and scoffed at our poor sibling. "He's not much of an opponent. He doesn't think enough."

Bella turned to him, curiosity prevalent in her feline face. "You think you can do better?"

"I was turned while in the confederate army, youngest major in the Texas Calvary. They don't call me 'Major' for nothing!" he boasted, walking up to Bella.

She flashed a devilish grin before launching herself at him. He quickly dodged, rolling to the side and springing back up in anticipation. She whipped around to face him, and they danced in a circle, careful not to get their backs to each other.

Esme and Carlisle were amused, but concerned that Bella would do something that hurt Jasper.

"Don't worry," I told them. "He'll be fine. He's got enough experience to make it out alive!"

Bella's attention turned to me, and Jasper took the chance to smack her in the jaw. He used full force, thinking he'd send her flying, just as she had done to Emmett. This wasn't the case, as two things happened when his fist connected: the sound of bone being shattered, and the sound of rock crumbling. Bella only managed to be pushed a few feet, but she yowled in agony, and Jasper started cursing up a storm, bent over his hand. Alice rushed over to Jasper, as I ran to Bella. Carlisle and Esme followed, torn between them.

"Jasper, what happened? Baby, you ok?" Alice fretted.

"Goddamn, I fucking shattered my knuckles! Fuck, her bones are tough!"

I held Bella's head in my arms as she lied down, mewling through clenched teeth. "He broke your jaw, didn't he?"

She looked up at me and I heard a muffled "Yes".

Carlisle felt the break, and dashed in and out of the house, coming back with his black medical bag. He took out a roll of bandages and started to unwind it when Bella suddenly stood right back up, growling. I had wrapped my arms around her neck, so at this point I was now dangling from there. I got a close look at her jaw as I saw something amazing.

The point at which Jasper's fist had connected with Bella, there was already a purple-black bruise, with pieces of bone fragments protruding from the skin. Almost instantaneously, the bruise disappeared, and the bone stitched itself together. Within five seconds, it was as if Jasper hadn't even laid a finger on her. She breathed out a sigh of relief, and lowered her head, allowing me to drop off of her neck.

"How in the world? Bella, it... Your jaw... It..."

"Healed itself? Yeah, my body tends to do that. Its really quick, too. Comes in handy when you're constantly abused."

That made me tense up. Constantly abused? "What do you mean?"

She huffed, her deep voice still managing to sound small and sad. "Renee would beat me and hurt me before she let me go anywhere, to remind me of my place. I never fight her. I'm just thankful I heal fast. It doesn't hurt as long."

I shook my head. Her mother was disgusting. "You should never let that woman do that to you."

She shrugged. "I don't live with her anymore; I don't have to worry about it anymore. Jasper, you ok?"

"Yeah," he yelled back, showing his hand. "I'll think twice before doing that again. You're one tough little mamma!"

She smiled, and Jasper - and myself, through Jasper's thoughts - felt her relax. She laughed. "I'm the toughest! No one fucks with me!"

I laughed along with her. "Bella, you're just amazing."

She looked at me, locking her eyes onto mine. Her enormous heart began to beat faster, and her body got warmer. I was glad I couldn't blush. Carlisle ushered the rest of them inside, Emmett being carried by Jasper, Alice moping mentally about the state of her clothes.

Bella looked confused as she saw them leave. She was about to say something when I petted her cheek. She looked back at me, her heart beating faster at my touch.

"They're giving us time alone. Come with me." I smiled warmly, and her ears perked in interest. I took off into the forest, and she followed, easily reaching my speed. I watched her as she ran on all fours, her back arching and bowing with every stride. She mimicked a normal big cat's stride, except that her front paws were always reaching out before settling in the ground, her fingers stretching out to catch whatever would repel her forward. And every one stride she took matched ten of mine. She looked as if she could fly.

I led her to a small secluded clearing, and in the moonlit night the trees, grass, and flowers all had a silvery touch to their original colors. Bella burst into the clearing and stopped, her eyes wide as she took in her surroundings. I heard her mew softly.

"What do you think?" I asked her quietly.

She was silent still, and I cursed myself for nit being able to hear her mind. But I thought of Jasper, and knew I'd be well off without it. I patiently waited as she stepped softly through the grass, marveling at everything in sight. She sniffed the flowers, gazed at trees, and finally looked up at the full moon. When she stepped into a pure beam of moonlight, her fur began to shimmer, an iridescent silver.

I was awestruck. Every moment I spent with Bella only increased her beauty. I couldn't believe such a creature as her existed, but here she stood, in awe-inspiring glory. She was outgoing and exciting, but sweet and caring. No matter her emotional swings, she was perfect. And I had to show her. She'd only seen love from her father, and I knew she craved more. I'd give it to her.

I walked over to her and stood next to her, gazing up at the moon. "Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"You look beautiful tonight."

She looked at me. "You think so?"

I nodded, still looking up.

There was a pause. "You are too. Your skin is so pretty."

I chuckled. "My skin looks different in the sun."

Her eyes grew wide. "It does? You don't burn up?"

"No!" I said, laughing. "Its just a display, no harm involved. How about you and I return here tomorrow? Its going to be nice and sunny."

She purred. "I'd like that."

We stood there in silence for a while. Then Bella walked toward the edge of the clearing. "I gotta get back; Charlie will be wondering where I am. Let's go back to your place so I can grab my things."

I nodded, jogging over to her. She didn't go on, but instead lowered her entire body so her chest was touching the ground. "Get on; I'll show you what its like to run as fast as I do."

I looked at her in mock hurt. "What, you think I'm slow?"

"No, just slower than me." She curled her tail and brushed my back, encouraging me. I smiled and shook my head, but took tufts of her fur in my hands and swung myself onto her back. When she stood up to her full height, I swayed a little. The height was immense, and I realized just how tall she really was. She shrugged and rolled her shoulders.

"Move back just a little, I need to be able to move my arms."

I did as she asked, and grasped two fistfuls of fur tightly.

"You ready?" she growled playfully.

"Show me what you got."

She took off, and it was all I could do to hood on. Forget the speed of our own kind, she was going so fast that we arrived back in front of the house within seconds. I wasn't really able to fully experience the ride. I swung off and looked at Bella incredulously. "Geez, I didn't even get a chance to really have fun. You sure you didn't just... Teleport?"

She laughed a throaty laugh. "I'll show you more one day. Let me change back, and I'll meet you back here." She sauntered off into the forest. A minute later, I heard her yell, in her normal human voice, "Alice! My clothes!"

Alice zoomed out with a bundle of clothes, then ran back upstairs, smiling and winking as she passed me by.

_I want to hear EVERYTHING!_

I shook my head. She frowned and disappeared upstairs.

Bella came out from behind the tree line, wearing a hot pink blouse and dark blue jeans, along with a humble pair of converse high tops, in red. "Alright, now to get my things and go home. Rose, where'd you put my new things?"

Rosalie ran out with three shopping bags, two that had books and one that had clothes, and handed them to Bella. "Right here. I'm glad Alice has someone else to go shopping with her, I just hope she doesn't get too discouraged with your love of books."

Bella grinned. "She'll have to deal. But I do appreciate new clothes now and then. I'm glad she has a fashion sense, but she needs to broaden her horizons. Not everyone looks good in girly clothes ALL the time."

"You're right, I think you look fantastic in more tomboy clothes." Rosalie gestured to Bella's outfit. "However, you still look good in nicer dress up wear."

Yes, she did. The blouse hugged Bella's torso so the curve of her back was more pronounced. Her long legs looked so good in the skinny jeans she was wearing. I wondered what she looked like underneath all of that. When I had helped her undress that one time, I really hadn't looked at her naked form. Now, I really wanted to.

Shit, where was this coming from? I steered my thoughts to my piano, which always distracted unwanted thoughts. Suddenly, a melody began to form in my head. It was magnificent, the notes rolling from low to high and back, a cascade of perfect sounds that could effectively tell my story of Bella.

"Well Bella we shouldn't keep you. Come on, Charlie will want to see what you got." Rosalie smiled, took the shopping bags from her, and ran back into the garage, pulling up her BMW next to us. Bella hopped in, bade me goodnight, and waved as Rosalie drove off into the dark, hopeful night.


	12. Chapter 12

Bella POV

That night was the first I dreamt of my angel since that fateful day of transformation all those years ago.

It starts with me in the woods, just beside Charlie's house; I can see it through the trees as I look back. I walk forward, and the trees zoom past me. I come through the tree line into a meadow... Its the same one Edward took me to just a while ago, but its sunny and all of the colors of the flowers shine brightly. As I take a few steps through the grass, a figure steps out opposite of me. They are cloaked in all kinds of mini rainbows, and the light reflected off of them shines too bright for me to see them clearly. They walk towards me, even after I stop. They offer their hand up, caressing the air in front of me.

"Come with me."

My eyes widen. The voice sounds familiar. The words are hauntingly so, as in deja vu. But I can't place it in this dream of euphoria. I know who it is, but then again I don't.

"Come with me, Bella."

I shiver, a cold shiver. I reach out, wanting to go with my angel, wanting to be with them. My hand is furry, clawed. I look down at myself and I see that I transformed into a werecat.

No! Not here! Not in front of my angel! My angel can't see me like this, they'll hate me! Instead of grasping my angel's hand, I push it away. "No, please," I plead with the heavens, with whoever gave me this curse, with my angel. I can't be this monster.

"Come with me, Bella," my angel pleads, as his voice begins to fade.

I want to, so badly it hurts, but I don't want to destroy this, my angel. I can't let the beast out. I can't let the beast out.

I bolted up out of bed, careening out of bed with a loud thump. My legs got tangled in the covers, and I felt a sharp pain in my wrist as it took the force of the fall. I grunted, and furiously squirmed to untangle myself.

"Bells? You alright?"

"Yeah!" I replied to Charlie.

"Alright, I'm going to see if the office needs me. You said you were going out again today, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Billy's coming over with Jacob. You remember him, you played with him when you were little."

How could I forget? He was one of the boys off the reservation in La Push, a cool friend to hang out with on my trips up here in the summer. I whished I could have seen him more often.

"Yeah, I do. I'm not going out until a little while later, so I'll stick around to say hi."

"Alright, then. I'll be back soon." I heard the door open and close. I smiled a little. I loved my father. Charlie was the only one who I truly could love in my family. Sure, I didn't like baseball all that much, and I always worried about his eating habits, but he was a good man.

When I could finally stand up I went to the bathroom and studies my features. My eyes were bloodshot and their were deep purple circles under my eyes. My hair was a complete mess, and I was shiny from sweat. I decided to take a shower, to calm my nerves.

My dream. The one dream I remembered the clearest. It came back. I had only seen it that one other time, so I had thought for the longest time that it was just a dream. But that meadow was real. And Gran, my loving Gran, she wouldn't lead me on. But who was my angel? Who was this mysterious figure?

Come with me, the angel had said. Who else had said that? The steam from the intense heat of the shower made everything fog up. When I got out of the shower, I wrote the phrase with my finger on the mirror. The voice was familiar, too. I said it out loud, a whisper. "Come with me..."

I needed to clear my head, so I got dressed and walked outside. The scent of damp nature curled its fingers in my nostrils. I could think better out here. It may have been my inner cat thinking, but I felt the need to be outdoors, with the trees and grass and never ending moisture if the Pacific Northwest. Renee had always complained that it was too depressing up here, but I disagreed. Sure the ever grey clouds were a bit of a downer, but this place had its sunny days, like it was going to be. I hoped; it was pretty cloudy, and I could hear the faint whisper of distant thunder. Plus, there was life everywhere! Not like in hot, dry Arizona, with little to nothing growing except maybe the graveyard of orchids she had tried to grow over the years.

My angel that I was destined to meet. I had anticipated it for a long time now, this meeting, but it was always a fleeting fantasy. Now that I had the dream, I knew my angel would show up soon. In that medow.

Wait...

Edward was taking me to that medow.

Today.

Holy mother fucker... Was Edward my angel?

I stared up at the sky, wondering if there was any way to blow a raspberry at Gran.

Of course I would have my fate tied to another supernatural being. Gran said that I needed him as much as he needed me. But what did that mean? Would a vampire and a werecat be able to coexist?

They already are, I thought to myself. The Cullens had already accepted me into their fold, promising to help me in any way they could. And they all loved me.

Even, perhaps, Edward...

I shook my head, water droplets scattering from the buildup in my hair; I had been standing under the wet leaves, apparently. I checked my little dinosaur Nokia phone for the time - it would be an hour before Edward came to get me.

Just as I flipped the phone closed, Charlie drove up, and a tan truck followed, parking behind the police cruiser. I recognized instantly the older Native American man in the driver's seat of the truck, as well as the younger one now getting a wheelchair out from the back. It was Billy and Jacob Black. Charlie helped Billy into the wheelchair, and Jacob bounded over to me, a smile stretched across his mahogany colored face.

"Bella! Its been to long, loca!" he said excitedly, pulling me up in a bear hug. His strength was very startling to me; it was much stronger than any normal human, but still not as strong as a vampire. Not enough for the bear hug to hurt me at all. When he set me down, I got a better look at him; he grew maybe a foot taller than I last saw him, and he was getting buff.

"Geez, Jacob, you're huge! You know anabolic steroids are bad for you."

"I'm just filling out, Bella. It wouldn't be so surprising if you and I hung out more." he smirked, leaning up against my truck.

I lightly shoved his shoulder back, making him stumble and regain his balance. "Well, I'm here to stay Jake. I'll definitely come see you on the rez more often. But only if you see me here, too. I still have high school to finish."

He laughed, messing up my hair. "Alright then! So, are you sticking around for the game today? Billy and Charlie have been looking forward to the season opener."

I shook my head. "If I had known you were coming, I would have, but I made plans for today."

"Oh yeah? With who?"

"Edward Cullen."

"Cullen?"

Jacob and I turned to Billy, who was now staring at me with confusion, and a hint of anger.

"Yeah, you know, one of Dr. Cullen's kids." Charlie reminded him as he wheeled Billy to the steps, right in front of me.

"Right. Is he your boyfriend or something?"

The outright remark made me turn a shade of red, not in embarrassment, but in anger. "No, and even if I was, it's not something you just ask someone. Especially like that."

He shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "Just asking. I don't really trust them, Bella."

"Why?" Did he know what they were?

"I just have a bad feeling about them."

"Come on, Billy," Charlie sighed, obviously tired of what must have been a very regular argument. "Dr. Cullen and his family aren't bad people. Just because you don't trust them doesn't mean you have to rub off your silly superstitions on everyone else."

"Just trying to keep her safe, chief."

"I can manage, Billy. I'm tougher than most people." I emphasized the word people, and he got the message. He put a hand up, submitting.

"Alright. Just-"

We looked up at the sound of a rumbling engine coming close, and the sound came from Emmett's Jeep. It came to a stop, and Edward jumped out of the driver's side, wearing a baseball jersey and hat.

"Be careful," Billy finished in a softer tone. His eyes locked with Edward, his nostrils flaring out. Edward quickly came to my side.

"Hey, Edward," Charlie greeted him normally, reaching out to shake his hand, over Billy's head. Edward grasped Charlie's hand firmly, smiling warmly. I did, however, notice Edward slightly stiffen as he reached over Billy.

"How is Carlisle?"

"Doing pretty well, sir. The ER isn't as busy as usual, and he was able to save a hiker from bleeding out the other day."

"Was he one of those attacked by that wild animal?"

"He had part of his throat torn by what might have been a cougar. It might have been the same cougar that killed that guy in Port Angeles. But it's not for sure if that's the one taking all of the other hikers."

Charlie nodded. "Glad we can have such a talented doctor like your father here in town. We're lucky to have him. But, changing subject, what's the agenda for you and Bella?"

"Well, I'm planning on getting her to play baseball with me and my family."

I raised an eyebrow. Baseball? "Since when do you guys like baseball?" I asked suggestively, knowing well I couldn't say vampires. I figured Charlie didn't need to hear about this whole situation right now.

"Its the American pastime, Bella. Besides, Emmett's been dying for a match, and we all wanna see you play. Are you game?"

I smiled devilishly. "Oh, I'm so ready. Bring it on!"

Charlie chuckled. "Well, have fun, then. Hey, why don't you tag along Jacob? Have some fun."

I panicked; Jacob couldn't come, he'd see the Cullens for what they were! But my worries were abated when Billy frowned and said, "I don't think so."

Jacob looked dejected at his father's words, but nodded. "I don't play baseball. Never learned on the rez." He smiled, but barely.

Charlie pursed his lips, knowing full and well Jacob would have come if Billy hadn't said anything. "Alright then, uh..." Now he looked uncomfortable. "Let's get inside then. Come on, Jake, help me get him up." Charlie and Jacob helped pull Billy up the stairs and into the house. That was my cue. I turned and darted to the Jeep, using super speed to get in and strap the impressive looking harness on, even though I really didn't need them. Edward hopped in the driver's seat and took off.

"God, that was awful. I feel so bad for Jacob. How does Billy know about you guys?" I asked Edward.

"Do you want the short answer or the long one?"

"Semi-short."

"The Quileute people have legends of us, what they call Cold Ones. My family had a run in with Ephriam Black, Jacob's ancestor, when we first came to the area. We made a treaty with them, saying we wouldn't bite a human, and they wouldn't reveal what we were to the humans. Billy must remember the legends and distrust us all the same."

I snorted. "That's a bit stupid. They do know you don't hunt humans, why the prejudice?"

"It's probably just long standing prejudice. If you grew up in the 1700s, you would have a disposition to Africans and African Americans, would you not? Same with them."

"I guess..." It did make sense. To only know one side of the story. "But Jacob didn't have that same feeling, though. He looked like he wanted to come with us."

"He thinks the stories are just myth. He has an apprehension for us, but he doesn't hate us like his father. That's why he's so confused about Billy's reaction."

I looked at him funny. "How do you know what he feels?"

"I can read minds," he said simply.

I balked. Could he read my mind right now?

"The only one I can't read, though, is yours." He looked toward me and smiled, half amused, half frustrated. "You seem to be off my radar, as it were."

I sighed, relieved. "You'd be put off by a lot of what I think."

"On the contrary, I wonder day and night what goes on inside your head. But I respect your unusual bit of privacy. If you want me to know something, you will speak your mind. I like that about you."

My face got hot, and I ducked behind my hair. He respected my privacy, and he couldn't read my thoughts. Plus, he didn't mind one bit! He actually liked my outspoken-ness! Most of the time Renee thought-

Wait, no! Curse that bitch! I shouldn't be thinking about Renee.

I took a peak at Edward again through my hair. His strong, lithe physique; his flowing facial features; his bronze hair... He appeared more handsome with each passing second my eyes lay upon him. No, he was more... Delicious. A primal urge made me reach over and want to stop the vehicle right now. I... I need him. I didn't know what for, but something told me I wanted him.

Arg, stop it, Bella! I pulled my hand back quickly. Edward looked at me with a side glance but didn't say anything. In fact, his grip on the steering wheel got tighter, any more so and I was afraid he'd break it. There was something in the air, almost like electricity, or magnetism. I could feel it with my body, my fingertips, as if I could grasp it.

In order to distract myself, I asked, "So I thought we were going to the meadow?"

"Well, its not sunny right now, but Alice saw that it will be after the game; the storm will pass quickly." He turned off of the main road and crossed a bridge, driving into deeper wooded territory. "The rest of them are egar to see your full potential. But from what I've seen, you're more than enough to be your own team!"

I tsked. "Its boring playing in a team by yourself. Isn't that why I'm playing with vampires?" I waggled my eyebrows.

He laughed boisterously as he drove through the trees and into a large clearing. It was twice as big as any regulation baseball field, with twice of a distance between where Alice was standing - the pitcher's mound, as she was practicing wind up techniques - and Esme, where she was grinding the dirt with her foot, and was at the center of activity. Carlisle and Rosalie were playfully arguing over who was going first, Emmett looked like he was practicing for a boxing match, odd, and Jasper as busy doing tricks with his bat.

When Edward parked close to the tree line, I jumped out and yelled, "Ya miss me, folks?"

They all turned and smiled, and I could feel the warmth of their happiness reach out to me. Emmett bounded over like a homesick puppy, picked me up, and swung me around.

"You know I did, kitty cat!" He set me down and patted my shoulder. "You ready to roll with the big leagues? We ain't gonna go easy, now."

I bared my teeth and growled, grinning at the same time. "I never play easy, Emmett. You should know better."

"Alright! So, you're on my team with Edward. Jasper, Rosalie, and Carlisle are the other team. Alice pitches, and Esme is our catcher and umpire. She thinks we cheat."

"I know you cheat!" Esme called out. Edward, Emmett and I walked towards her and first base, and I pulled off the jacket I was wearing, to allow greater movement. I kicked off my shoes and socks, and gripped the dirt with my toes.

Rosalie, who was standing at the first base plate, tilted her head in response to my bare feet. "Uh, why'd you do that?"

"I like to be able to grip the dirt, helps me move."

She wrinkled her nose. "You don't mind getting dirty?"

"It comes with the territory of being a giant animal, plus I can always take a shower."

"Whatever floats your boat, I guess." she rolled her eyes and walked over to talk to Carlisle and Jasper.

"Don't let her pride get to you," Esme told me, as my teammates talked trash to the other team. "Rosalie was born in a time and family of high society; its not natural of her to agree with a down to earth kinda girl like you. But don't worry, you'll get used to us; we all have quirks about us that we've brought from our human lives."

"Just like everyone else. Don't worry, I'm not easily offended. Now, let's get this started. Who's up to bat?"

"That would be me." Jasper came up to the plate, waving the bat skillfully. Edward, Emmett and I ran to third, first, and second base respectfully. Thunder rang across the sky, and a bolt of lightning shot through the clouds.

"It's time!" Alice sang out, a gleeful smile upon her pixie face. Then she got serious, wound up, and pitched the ball. Jasper swung, and the sound of the ball hitting was an exact copy of the thunder from just a second ago. Jasper took off for first base, and the ball sailed toward me. It was only a millisecond that passed, but I managed to get my hand up and the ball smacked right into my palm. I smiled slyly, and I saw Jasper slow down, an astonished look on his face. Emmett laughed and cheered, patting Jasper on the back. Edward whooped and hollered my name behind me. I felt so proud. Alice ran to me and grabbed the ball, reappearing on the pitcher's mound.

"Out!" Esme called to Jasper. He half smiled and walked back behind Esme, tagging in Rosalie. He whispered something to her, and she nodded, looking at me with a tough, determined stare. She prepared to hit, and I saw her glance up once.

Alice wound up like a pro, and pitched a curve. Rosalie hit it, and it whizzed up and over my head, into the woods. I took off, and found the ball lodged into a tree half a mile away. I wrenched it out, and raced Rosalie to second base. My foot touched the plate, and she slammed into me, sending us both into the ground. She pushed herself off me and looked to Esme for the call.

"Out, Rosalie. She touched the base before you got there."

Rosalie hissed and looked back at me, pissed. I shrugged, the ball still in my hand. I tossed it back to Alice, and she laughed.

The game continued as such, and Carlisle's team managed to get up even with ours. They all enjoyed having me playing with them, I had tons of fun.

It was Carlisle's turn to bat, and Alice wound up for the pitch. When she followed through, her eyes glazed over, and her ball fell short. She just stood there, in a trance. Edward looked to her, and then toward the trees. I followed his stare, listening hard for any change...

There were footsteps. Three sets. One barefoot. I opened my mouth, scented the wind. One was female. They had a similar scent to the Cullens. They were vampires. But it was off. More... Primal, dirty...

Blood. They had the scent of blood on them.

"The nomads. They changed course." Alice shuffled. I heard someone run to her.

"Why?" It was Jasper who asked. Maybe it was him who was with her now.

"They heard us playing. They want to join. I'm sorry, I didn't see..."

"It's ok. They're just curious, right?" I turned to see Carlisle join Alice and Jasper, with Esme just behind him. Emmett and Rosalie stood in front of them all, protective. Edward ran to my side.

"I guess..."

"We have nothing to hide. Let us greet them. In a civilized manner." Carlisle stepped forward, and the rest of us followed suit. Esme was to his right, Alice and Jasper to his left. Rosalie and Emmett were a few feet to the right of Esme, and Edward and I were behind Carlisle and Esme.

"Don't worry Bella. They won't hurt you. I won't let them." Edward spoke with a faint snarl in his voice. His face was set in a determined, protective mode. He grasped my hand. A flash of heat shot up my arm, but I ignored it, squeezing his hand back in return. We all looked toward the trees as the footsteps got louder.

When the nomads broke through the forest, they were in a triangular formation. The white male was in front, obviously in charge. To the right was a white female with screaming, fiery red hair. She was the barefoot one. And to the left was an oddly darker skinned male. The two nomads that followed had dark red eyes. But the leader's eyes were solid pitch.

"Whats's with that one's eyes?" I whispered to Edward.

"He's thirsty"

Oh, so that explained it. But that also meant he was more dangerous. I braced myself for anything these guys might do.

They came together as they got close. But instead of the presumed leader, it was the darker skinned vampire that spoke, with a slight French accent.

"We thought we heard you playing, and we thought we'd join. I am Laurent. This is Victoria and James." He gestured to his companions respectfully.

"I'm Carlisle, and this is my family." Our matriarch swept his hand over us, giving a formal but brief response.

Funny, I thought of him as "our" leader. I felt like the Cullens already placed me as one of them. And I felt like I belonged. So when James stared, hard, at Alice, I couldn't help but hiss very faintly. Edward gripped my side tighter. What was James' deal?

"Your hunting activities have caused us some problems," Carlisle continued.

"Our apologies," Laurent responded. "We did not realize the territory had been claimed."

"We have a permanent residence nearby. We were actually finishing up our game, and were headed there now. We could show you there and discuss things further, if you wouldn't mind."

"Oh, of course. I'm intrigued you could live here permanently. How do you do it?"

Now Alice had stiffened, and Jasper grabbed her by the shoulders. "Alice, what is it?" Jasper tried to whisper too low for the other vampires to hear, but James raised an eyebrow.

"Alice?" The nomad looked at her closer, and recognition flashed through his eyes. "Ah, I remember you!"

Jasper, Emmett, and Edward tensed up, flexing muscles. I got up close to Alice, on the side opposite to Jasper. She came out of her trance when she heard her name, and looked at James, confused. "Do I know you?"

James grinned like he was enjoying a private joke. "No, but I know you. See, I remember you from before you were turned. You, poor girl, were locked up in an asylum. Another vampire who used the facility as his hunting grounds had claimed you, and somehow he figured out I was coming for you. So, he turned you. When I saw what he did, I cursed myself for not being able to get to you in time. I destroyed the older vampire for taking my prize away. But now that I see you, I'm impressed. You had not screamed at all while transforming. And when you opened your eyes, its as if you had been blind, and was seeing the sun for the first time."

I knew this bastard was bad news. He was creeping closer as he talked, and so I stepped in front of Alice, getting in his face a little. "Now that you know she isn't yours to savage, you don't want anything to do with her, right?" I asked defiantly.

James caught my scent now, and he looked at me with some surprise. "A human? But, you smell... Off..." The other two nomads sniffed the air, and stared at me like I had a third eye. I hated it.

"I'm a bit more than human, dude. So back off." My voice got lower, and my anger grew. I started to feel cold.

James laughed. "You're brave to face up against a vampire, little one. And no mortal can tell me when to back off." He got closer, his obnoxiously large nose almost touching mine.

He was absolutely disgusting. None of his inhuman beauty affected me. And, he started to stink to me. I could actually smell his sweet scent turning sickly, icy, painful. I wanted to spit in his face. But I felt my body begin to shake. I was past the point of recovering my cool, so I smiled. Really wide. His smirk turned into a frown, and he looked slightly confused.

"Check again, parasite. I'm. Not. Mortal." The last word turned into a bass growl. I could feel my clothes ripping, my body expanding. I couldn't hold it much longer.

Now James looked scared. He backpedaled a few steps, with Victoria and Laurent right behind him. "W-w-what are you?"

"Your worst NIGHTMARE!"


	13. Chapter 13

Edward POV

Right in front of our eyes, Bella burst into her huge white werecat form. She landed on all fours, scattering the nomads, as well as the shredded remains of her clothes, and puffed up her fur, letting out a mad yowl.

Fear. I could see it in the intruders, but I could feel it within me as well. And when I read Jasper's mind, he was overwhelmed with the fear from not just the nomads, but our entire family as well. We were all scared, terrified of Bella.

No! I shouldn't be scared of her! She wasn't dangerous to us! I tried to fight it.

But, she was. The power she had, the invulnerability. She was incredibly dangerous, standing tall, staring down a cold blooded killer without blinking. My instincts, or something bigger, was making me afraid of the girl I loved.

"You'll stay away from us. Or you'll suffer," Bella hissed at them, whipping her tail back and forth.

James was too afraid to think coherently, let alone talk or move. He just stared into furious blue eyes. Laurent backed away, but Bella hissed at him, and he stilled, afraid of what she was capable of. Victoria moved to get in front of James - who I could now see through her thoughts was her mate - but there was some force that was pulling at her to run away. She was torn between protection and self preservation on an enormous scale. I could hear Jasper's assumption that it was more powerful than just an emotion.

Bella's attention turned to the red head as she came forward. "You would protect this abomination? Forfeit your own life?"

"You don't have the power. You can't kill a vampire, beast!" she spat, but in her head she only hoped she was right.

"On the contrary," Bella growled, shoving her aside easily. "I'll show you what I can do to a pathetic being like James." The massive anthropomorphic cat snatched James up in one giant paw, squeezing hard. He wriggled around, trying to use his inhuman strength to break free. Bella had to unsheathe her claws and dig them into his back; the sound of tearing rock made me clench my jaws in pain.

James screamed, and the second he did so, Laurent turned and ran, his own instinct telling him it wasn't worth the fight. Victoria cried out in denial, and launched herself at Bella, trying to tear James away from her. She collided with Bella's skull, and the werecat roared. She didn't let go of her prey, though. She tightened her grip as the female nomad clawed at her face, desperately trying to free James.

Bella's back flexed in pain, but she still held James. I wanted to tear Victoria off of her, but I still could not unfreeze my body from the absolute terror that held me. I swear, I should not have been frightened of her, but I couldn't help it.

"Let him go!"

"Get off of me, bitch!" Bella shook her head back and forth trying to dislodge Victoria. The red head held on tight, and as a last resort, she bit Bella in the jugular.

Bella screamed, an unholy sound that rocked my foundations to the core. It was a high pitched, louder than a banshee scream that sent birds in the nearby forest fleeing in terror. My fear went dead, replaced with fury. How dare Victoria make my Bella feel the pain of venom? I sprang at her, and tore the nomad away from the werecat. Victoria rolled away, and when she sprang up, so did I, shielding Bella from another attack.

Bella herself wasn't screaming anymore. James was still crying out, but there was a sickening snap, and everyone who remained turned to see James's head, caught in between Bella's canine teeth.

Without the body.

The arms and legs flailed for two seconds, and then lay still. Bella tossed the body aside, and looked directly into Victoria's eyes. With a cruel smile, she bit down, and James's head crunched and crumbled into crystalized chunks. She ground him up well, and spit out the remains in a lugi of saliva bigger than my fist, hitting the decapitated corpse. The spit acted like acid, and the body burned away, until there was nothing left but smoking, acid burnt ground. It all took less than thirty seconds.

Victoria screamed out her mate's name, the cry breaking the rest of my family out of their fear. Jasper held Alice behind him, growling at Victoria. Rosalie and Emmett got next to me, hissing their anger. Carlisle and Esme got in front of Bella - careful not to get in the acid puddle - and talked to her, trying to calm her down.

Victoria could see that this wasn't a time to grieve, so she got up. But before she ran, she spat in Bella's direction, "You're gonna pay for this, you monster!"

I could feel a red hot, sour burn on my tongue, and without cause, venom flowed into my mouth. Again, an emotion that wasn't mine. I turned to Jasper, confusion breaking through this... Fury. He was just as confused as I was, showing me that he had closed off his link to Bella, and wasn't feeding the rest of us this pure hatred.

Bella sucked in a large breath, and roared. More powerful than a lion's, louder than the thunder that rolled across the sky, the vibrations were unsettling, and Victoria took off. Bella's roar didn't stop until the red head was well beyond the tree line. She huffed and shuddered, clearly sounding like her rage was used up. I turned to her, and she looked like she was ready to drop. Her eyes had lost their shine, her tail was dragging along the ground, her legs wobbled and her arms were limp.

Her face sent myself on edge. There were three scars from Victoria's hands, and the bite wasn't clean; due to the struggle, part of Bella's skin was hanging off. The blood trickled down her fur, turning it red.

"Bella, you're hurt. Why aren't you healing?" I asked, confused as to why her body wasn't acting normal. Hell, what really defined normal, at this point?

She hissed. "No, ugh... It... Burns... Why...?" She collapsed, her whole body convulsed, and she shrank down into her human form, naked and bloodied. Now I could see venom, more than I had first anticipated, seeping in and around the wounds. I got to her and cradled her in my arms. I looked up at Carlisle, who was already checking the damage.

"We need to get her to the house, and clean her. Maybe the venom is restricting her ability to heal, instead of aiding it."

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Bella!" Alice cried, clutching Jasper. "If James hadn't-"

"No!" Bella interrupted, coughing and spitting blood with the force of her denial. "He was... Danger..." She doubled over coughing, and I held her as tight as I thought would be comfortable for her.

"No more talking, Bella. Come on, we're getting you home." I held her, infant style, and we all ran together, my family members forming a ring of protection around me. When we got to the house, I took Bella up to Carlisle's office, and laid her out on the small sofa there. I grabbed a blanket and draped it over her naked form, and I heard Carlisle rush in next to me, with his medical bag ready.

He looked at her closely, as did I. The venom was in her system, of that we were sure. She was bleeding out, not as profusely as before, but it was still concerning. I never knew any creature to bleed out as much as she did and survive. Esme brought a bowl full of warm water and two rags, and Carlisle began cleaning her gently, wiping up silvery blood. Bella coughed, gaining consciousness, and I leaned over to stare into her eyes. "Bella?"

She moaned, looking up at me and my father. Carlisle held her face, careful not to touch the ragged edges of her skin. "We need to transfuse her blood. Bella, do you know your blood type?"

Her hand twitched, and I took it in mine. She started using her index finger to write in the palm of my hand, and I realized she was trying to say something. "She says..." I translated, "N..o... Need... Four... Transfusion. Blood... Re...gen...er...ates. Get... Ven...om... Out."

"Edward, get the isopropyl alcohol from in the cabinet. I'll get her in the bathtub." He scooped her up, and swept through the already opened by a very concerned Jasper. "Rosalie is trying to calm Alice down. I came to see if Bella was alright. She's still bleeding out?"

"The venom impedes her healing, unlike with a human. We're bleeding her; she says she'll regenerate."

"Is that even possible?" I heard his concern in his mind as well as his voice, as if Bella was already his sister.

I looked strait into his eyes, and with all of my hope resting on my own words, I said, "I hope so."


	14. Chapter 14

Jasper POV

I saw a desperate man in Edward as he ran past me and into the bathroom with our matriarch and the female supernatural. I stepped into the doorframe, and witnessed a heart crushing scene. Bella was leaning over the bathtub, blood pouring out of her neck and face. Carlisle was running warm water over her as she fingered the neck wound, opening it up as wide as it would go. The venom was leaving her system, but she was getting weaker. I could feel her swirling emotions of pain and fear fading away.

She was dying.

Edward looked up at me when the realization hit. His eyes were crazed, and he shook Bella. Her eyes opened, just a little. "Bella, please, what's going on? You said you'd regenerate!"

Her hand came up and weakly landed on his shoulder; he held it there as she spoke. "I... Will. I...need...food... Meat. Raw."

Edward felt torn; I could see, through my empathic power, that his desire to stay with Bella was warring with his need to get her what she needed. Carlisle was the same.

"Edward, you can hunt clean, better than any one of us. Go, I'll stay here and watch over Bella." When he hesitated, I pulled his unheld shoulder. "Edward, go. I know its hard being away from her, and I wouldn't make you do this if there wasn't another choice. Hunt down something that won't fight, and bring it back here. If you do, you'll be the one saving Bella."

He nodded, still grief-stricken. "Don't let her fade."

"I promise." I knelt beside Carlisle, and took her head in my hands, pushing a numbing feeling towards her. She sighed in relief. Edward took off.

"Jasper, tell me, does her blood tempt you?" Carlisle asked, a slight bit of fascination in his otherwise worried voice.

I took a sniff. Her blood smelled salty and slightly metallic, but again, just like her normal scent, it almost was like a bouquet of flowers. "No. It doesn't smell repugnant, either. It just smells like blood. Flowery blood."

"Interesting." Carlisle wiped sweat off of her brow, and kept the warm water going. Downstairs, I could hear Edward return, and smell the carcass of something herbivorous outside. He ran back upstairs.

"Bella, I have a doe downstairs. You said you needed it raw, right?"

She nodded weakly, barely able to keep her head up without Carlisle's help.

"What part of it do I need to bring to you?"

"Thickest part... Of leg..."

He ran back downstairs. I could hear Emmett whining about wanting to drain the doe first, but Edward was vehemently opposed to it, saying Bella might need the blood from it, like we did.

I yelled downstairs, "Quit the damn arguing or imma knock ya'lls heads together! Emmett, you'll hunt later! Edward, get that hunk of mean up here now!"

He ran up, with a warm hunk of the deer in his hand. He gingerly held it to Bella. "Here's the-"

With ferocity, Bella snatched the meat out of his hand and began to tear into it. Within five seconds it was gone. At once, fresh, clean blood poored out of her wounds as they stitched themselves together. In moments, it was as if the battle had never happened. Her eyes brightened, flashing dark blue, and then back to chocolate brown. Her skin gained color again, and she stood, wrapping the blanket around her. She didn't even need Carlisle or Edward's help. She smiled as us, flashing bright white teeth, and took a breath, sighing as she exhailed.

"Sorry, Edward. Didn't mean to scare you," she apologized, and I noticed he had been holding the hand that had held the meat, obviously making sure it was still ok. "I've never been up against vampires before. Actually, I've never really fought before. But, that's probably the last time I'll have to fight anybody. Oh, and don't worry about losing a hand; I always aim for the more edible stuff - you vampires are god awful! It was all gritty and rocky!" She stuck her tongue out in mock disgust. The three of us laughed.

"Well, Alice is going to have to give you another set of clothes. Does Charlie believe you when you say that Alice gives you clothes?" Carlisle asked her.

She nodded. "He likes it when I'm slightly girly. I've always been the rough and tumble tomboy; seing me get in touch with my feminine side gives him hope I won't be single my whole life."

Edward took her hand. "Well, he's a great father, either way. You certainly didn't get your personality from anyone else."

The two of them exchanged a look; I knew that look, even without my empathic ability. It was one shared by mates, even if they didn't realize it. Emmett was going star-craving mad because they wouldn't go out. I told him to give it time. He and I wagered how long it would take.

After an uncomfortable minute, Bella cleared her throat. "Um, well, the sun's out now." She pointed up to the privacy window, which was letting in the now clearing sky. "You promised to show me what you look like in the sun."

Edward chuckled. "I did, didn't I? Well, then, come on. I'm not gonna race you, though. I learned that lesson quick."

She smiled coyly. "And that was too fast for you?"

He rolled his eyes.

'Are you gonna profess your love in that meadow of yours, brother?' I thought to him. He gave me a quick, stern look. If Bella saw it, she ignored it.

"It certainly was incredible speed. Flash would have a run for his money."

She laughed. "Man, a DC fan, up here in the Pacific Northwest? "

"Not a fan, but at least knowledgeable of pop culture." He turned toward the door. "Come on, Bella, we're wasting daylight."

"Alright, already! ALICE!"


	15. Author's Letter 1

THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER!

Alright, guys, this is my first Author Letter to ya'll, and I hope you like them. These will be my way of answering questions (no spoilers, guys!) and maybe justifying some off things about the characters.

Thanks to all you who love the bold, fierce Bella in this story, and the supernatural powers she posesses. Shape shifters were always my favorite characters, sans Meyer's Jacob - she made him too much of an ass for me, so I'm making him much sweeter and more intelligent. Makes for a less moody, bratty character, don't you think? Anyway, Bella being more brave and outgoing stems from her will not to be as weak and cowardly as her mother had made her feel before. I myself have that sort of attitude, so of course my Bella reflects this. And, as for the Cullens merely being witness to some of the horrendous things that happen, well, it's my was of giving Bella a chance to show off her abilities before the REAL fun begins. That's right, there will be bigger fights to come, and the Cullens will, have their part in the violence.

Also, if you're having trouble following the timeline day by day, don't sweat. I'm roughly following the cannon storyline for now, tweaking a few things here and there to fit my version of the Twilight Crew. So A Purrfect Disaster will follow the events of Twilight, and maybe fill in a little of the time in between Twilight and New Moon. The next story will pick up as New Moon did, so on and so forth. I don't know how long after Breaking Dawn I will venture, but I promise Stephanie's ending will not be my ending.

Until the next update, my children.


	16. Chapter 15

Bella POV

We arrived in the meadow later on that day, and Edward was careful not to step in any shafts of sunlight that managed to poke through the thick leaves of the trees. I stepped out into the sun of the open glade, loving the warmth that soaked into my skin. I opened my mouth, just a little, and let the scents of the flowers and grass and pine assault my mind. I then noticed the sound of Edward's footsteps become non existent. I turned to see him lingering in the shadows.

"What, got cold feet?" I giggled at my own pun.

He shook his head, suddenly getting serious. "It's gonna be quite the spectacle. You might want to get a bit farther."

I tilted my head in confusion, but stepped back anyway.

Deja vu struck me hard. This was exactly the view I had in my dream. The sun was shining much brighter to me, with better cat vision kicking in. The colors of the blooms becoming more vibrant, the dew drops scattering light in little prisms all round the grass. It was all coming together, after all those years of wondering if that bump on the noggin gave me a hallucination, or if I was really being sent a message from dear old Gran. My heart began to beat incredibly fast.

For the first time since I'd moved here, I felt nervous. Truly, palm-sweating, pulse racing nervousness. "Well, come on," I said, beckoning him out with a wave. "Show me."

He took a breath, and stepped out.

The flash of light hurt my eyes, and I looked away, shielding them. But I wanted to look. So I slowly opened my eyes, and stared at what appeared to be a human shaped diamond. The rainbows that came from Edward's skin were amazing. It was like little facets, each following the natural flow of his body. If I moved, or he did, all of the rainbows would dance and sparkle. I was mesmerized immediately.

"I know, its sickening, right?" I could hear the frown in his voice.

I locked eyes with him, astonished he could think that! "No! No, it ain't nasty, its... Beautiful... Shiny..." I crept closer, reaching out to touch the shiny.

He jerked his arm back. I looked up, somewhat hurt by his reaction. He let go a breath he must have been holding, and slowly gave me his arm. I gently placed my finger on his skin, and my eyes widened in awe. It was so smooth, like marble, or polished glass, and cool to the touch. It seemed something like this couldn't possibly have fluid movement, like my own body, but here it was.

And I loved it.

Something stirred inside me, another primal urge, but this time, it wasn't the seething, angry, hateful creature from the night in Port Angeles, or from earlier with the nomads. It was warm, and seductively so. It was soft, like silk. It was gentile, curious, hungry. New. I'd never felt this before. Thoughts I had ventured at before, thoughts I normally shut away, were now at the forefront of my mind. They took over my body, instincts more ancient than me, than my kind, than all of sentient life. I couldn't get enough of how he felt under my super sensitive touch.

I wanted more.

I hesitated, strong urges making it difficult. I contemplated, for a mere second, if Edward was willing to... accept me. I knew now that my pull towards him was there, and it was definitely physical, but did he feel the same? Not just a bit ago, he thought himself a disgusting monster. It seemed strange for him to say so, when earlier I knew he and his family were cowering in fear of me disintegrating one of their kind. With those facts set before me, I could not bring myself to push him. Instead, I searched his eyes for a sign.

He was staring back at me, in that moment, with his own sort of desire behind them. He quickly gazed in another direction, but he was also struggling in his own way. The arm I had been studying was now rising, coming back to his side. I stopped it. His eyes shot down towards my hand, a faint gasp escaping his lips. We stilled, each waiting for the other to make their move. Since his reserved, vampiric body was more patient than mine, I slowly drifted my hand down to his. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, he softly gripped it, like one would grip a delicate flower. It was so lovely, tears began to well up, but I forced them not to fall. I swallowed my nervousness as he looked back up at me with care, with adoration, with...

Love.

"E... Edward?" My words, though I was whispering, seemed loud in the near silent glade.

"Bella?" he answered back, just as cautious as I was.

"A... are, um... are you, uh... d-do you..." I trailed off, not knowing how to ask.

He swallowed, took a deep breath, and put his free hand up to my cheek. He leaned in, and his lips met mine.

They felt as smooth as his skin, but they were softer, like lips should be. I was a bit stunned, this being my first true kiss ever. His upper lip slid in between mine, and I could taste him, more delicious than he smelled. Something finally clicked, and I reached one hand to his waist, and the other into his messy hair.

Immediately, the kiss deepened, hardened, as we both enthusiastically made out with each other. His hands both now cupped my face, and pulled me closer to him. I hugged my body to his, hot desire making me want contact with him. Like before, I felt like I needed him, I couldn't part from him if I tried. He moved one arm to wrap around my waist, and I was gone. I gripped his hair harder, glad he didn't mind, and gripped the front of his shirt, slightly tugging at it. My breathing became stronger, rougher, and a small moan escaped my lips in between kisses.

I hadn't noticed at first, but when we broke the physical barrier, I had gotten warmer. Now I was sweating, and I couldn't take it. I had to get my jacket off. I parted from his form, struggling with the stupid zipper. My hands shook so badly I couldn't get it. Edward smoothly unzipped it and in one fluid motion took it off of me. But it wasn't enough, I was still baking. I panted, uncomfortable now. I needed more off, but I was too hot to move. And I was shaking uncontrollably-

Shaking? Oh no.

I pushed him away from me, and he stumbled back before falling on his butt, confusion in his face.

"Wha-?"

I turned around and quickly pulled off my shirt, and unclasped my bra. At this point, the pain of the heat was so much I didn't care if I was naked in front of him. I swiftly pulled off my pants and undies, and just as I whimpered loudly in searing agony, I felt my body explode. I screamed, and that scream turned into a yowl. I collapsed onto the cool, dew covered grass, and panted, my tongue hanging out. The heat subsided, and I got up on all fours.

But this felt uncomfortable, like I was hunching over. I made myself stand up on my hind legs, and I was a bit wobbly at first. When I gained my balance, I stood tall. Really tall, towering over poor Edward. He was still in the ground, but now he in complete awe. He noticed something, and quickly looked away, seeming embarrassed.

I looked down at myself, and I realized something way off with my body. I wasn't simply an overpowered werecat anymore. I had less muscle, more of an hourglass shape. My hands weren't great big paws, but slender, furry, and delicate, with long, tapered fingers and small claws. I waved my tail around, and instead of it being bushy, like it usually was, it was plump with fur on the end, and skinnier at the base. I felt my face, and it too had changed. It was more human like, still with fur on it, but it was so short and soft it was like velvet. My nose was small, my eyes proportional to a human's, and my mouth only protruded a fraction from my face, with the points of two small canine teeth just barely poking out from my soft lips.

I quickly realized that the heat was another type of transformation, one born of desire and, dare I say it, lust. Because, as I traced my hands down my body, I came across my own two, fur covered breasts, plump and soft. The fur there was like what was on my face, so my bare nipples were free to bare the gentle breeze. I covered them with one arm, and I covered my crotch with the other, keeping my backside away from Edward.

"Oh my god, I-" I stopped. My voice! It wasn't rough and deep, like normal. It was smooth, lighter, but still just a bit deeper than my human voice. It sounded seductive, even without meaning to. I forced myself to continue. "Edward, I didn't force this, I didn't mean to. Please, don't... don't..."

Still without looking, Edward got up and came to me, effectively halting my pleading. He reached as far as he could to reach for my shoulder, but all he could manage was my elbow. "Don't apologize for what you are, or how you feel, Bella. I... I have to admit, seeing you like this is amazing. You are extraordinary, stunning, I could go on..." He stopped, a nervous laugh escaping him.

My ears swiveled to front, surprised. With some of my confidence back, I lowered myself so I was level with his face. I had to put my knees on the ground and sit on my heels. He could now put his hand on my shoulder, and look directly into my eyes. There was a sparkle in them, a kind of devotion I'd never seen before. I knew fatherly love from Charlie, from the way he looked at me every morning and night. But Edward... His eyes told me a different story. This was love in another scale, above even the supernatural.

But what of me? Was I there, at that level? I'd never really felt this attraction before, and it scared me. All my life I had lived a quiet, reserved life under Renee's rule, and now that I was free of her, I was able to loosen up, especially with the Cullens. But was I willing to go all the way? My control had never been this loose, and it was exciting, but scary.

Edward raised an eyebrow. "I can see the wheels turning in your head. Please, what are you thinking?"

"Um, well, I've never had this before. This... want. I don't know how to describe it. This... Ugh, I'm gonna sound so stupid... Attraction? God, shut up, Bella." I looked down, too mortified to speak.

He shook his head and smiled. "Bella, how am I going to get you to see? I... I feel protective of you, even if you're capable of holding your own. I want you, too. But I didn't want to push it. I didn't want you to be put off by my advances. I waited for you. I've been waiting for you for more than a hundred years, it seems." He brushed his fingers across my cheek, an endearing smile crossing his face.

My heart skipped a few beats, and he chuckled. I loved it. No, I loved... Yes, I could think it now. I loved him. Or, at least, really, really liked him. I certainly had a very active imagination concerning what I wanted to do with him, since I had him alone. It seemed my hormones had spiked considerably since transforming into this new shape, since now every thought of him that crossed my mind was in some way sexual. I decided to hell with caution, with holding back. I smiled, lowering my eyelids and uncovering myself. I gripped his waist with both hands, and purred loudly. His eyes widened, but he grinned even wider.

"Well, Edward, I may not have lived as long, but I do feel... Like I've needed this." I traced one claw, very carefully, up his chest. "Like I've needed you, for all of my existence. And... I'm really glad you find me desirable."

He narrowed his eyes playfully, with a sly grin. "How could I not?" He traced a finger down from my temple to my jaw, and then to my lips. "You're the most gorgeous creature alive. I have to admit, it was difficult, watching you fight Victoria and James. I wanted, desperately, to fight the fear and kill the bastards myself. It seems you can handle a couple of vampires, though."

"Fear? You were afraid of me?"

"I felt paralyzing fear, yes, but it wasn't my own. I know because of Jasper. His empathy power wasn't forcing us all to be afraid; he was receiving fear, as we all were, from an out of body location. At one point after the fear, I felt... I think it was hate, or fury, or disgust, or a combination of all three, again that wasn't mine or Jasper's. I hypothesize you were, quite accidentally, making us fear you."

My eyes widened, and my ears flipped back. "Holy shit, I did that?"

"It could be one of your powers that you use, as a werecat, to immobilize your prey. At least the fear part. I still don't understand how we could feel your rage, though. Perhaps its a more magnified version of Jasper's empathy power. But I'm sure he'll be more than happy to teach you how to control it."

I huffed, touching my wet little nose to his cheek. "I'm glad that's the case. I don't want you to fear me." I hugged him, and rocked backwards, fully sitting down. He laughed as I wrapped him up tightly, covering him with arms and tail.

Out of the bubble that was the two of us, something made my fur stand on end. Something I couldn't imagine. I felt fuzzy all over, but not in the lovey kind. I stood up, looking around. My stomach tightened, there was a disturbance I couldn't place. Edward got up with me, gently petting my raised hackles.

"What's wrong?" he asked, turning serious instantly.

I opened my mouth, taking in all the scents around me. I momentarily stopped to say, "I don't know. I can't tell what, but I can't ignore it." I scented the air again; back in what I felt was the direction of Forks, it smelled off, and I padded in that direction. "I need to go there. I feel wrong, and I can't... Edward..." I shook violently, and returned to my more bestial form.

Edward swiftly jumped onto my back and gripped my long fur. "Run."

I took off, running at top speed. I heard Edward pull out a cell and call Emmett, telling him to find us, and to bring Jasper with him. Within seconds, I could heat the swift footsteps of the vampire siblings, trying to catch up. I stopped, lowered myself to the ground, and when I felt their weight on my back, I gave them quick warning, and took off again.

"Holy shit!" Emmett flew off, and grabbed onto my tail. The sudden pull made me yowl in slight pain, and I momentarily jumped in speed.

"Goddamn, this is fast!" Jasper yelled out to us.

"Yeah," I huffed, still pumping my arms and legs.

"Bella... I can hear your father's thoughts... Oh my god, FUCKING RUN! Renee is attacking him!"

I was now moving so fast and using so much strength I was running a small trench in the ground, and I was in the vicinity of the woods around my house in two seconds. I stopped and sniffed for Renee. I could definitely smell her, but it was also very similar to how I smelled.

Like a werecat.

I burst through the trees next to the house, and I could see my bedroom window. But Renee and Charlie weren't there. Their scent mingled near the front door, and traveled back on itself southwest. I ran, following the scent trail, until I came upon a small depression in the forest, surrounded by thick trunk trees. That is where we saw Charlie, dangling from his neck, a humongous, snow white werecat holding him with one hand. It turned, and smiled an evil grin as it locked its ocean blue eyes on me.


	17. Chapter 16

Edward POV

"Hello, my little kitten," Renee the werecat purred, still grasping Charlie's neck in one paw, holding him five feet off the ground. "I hoped you wouldn't see your father and I like this." Her voice was higher in pitch, and held more of the sound of a cat than Bella did; to compare, Bella sounded, and looked, more like a giant tiger, just without stripes.

My brothers and I were momentarily confused; I had been with Bella thus entire time, but now there was a carbon copy of her standing there, with Charlie in its massive paws. She smelled and sounded different, though, and, to my surprise and disgust, I could hear her thoughts.

'that poor girl will bleed for this.'

"PUT HIM DOWN YOU MOTHER FUCKING MONSTER!" Bella screeched. Jasper slipped off Bella's back, and Emmett came around to help Jasper flank Bella and I.

"Now, I know you probably want to save him, but he got me angry, and I can't just leave him like this; he'll rat us both out." Renee rubbed her thumb across Charlie's cheek, and her claw made a small tear in his skin.

"He wouldn't tell anyone! He wouldn't put me in danger!"

"Oh really? Taste his emotions, Bella. See how he feels about you being a beast."

"Don't listen to her, Bella!" I said, sliding off her back and holding a tuft of her neck fur. I could hear Charlie's bewildered thoughts clear as day. "He doesn't understand anything right now! His emotions would be a lie to you."

The white beast turned to me, narrowing her eyes and snarling. "A vampire." She spotted my brothers. "Three of them! Bella, you've been breaking my rules left and right! Had it not occurred to you that just because you weren't living in my house didn't mean you were out from under my paws? No matter how far you go, I will always be in charge of you. You are not to do any of this again! It will be hard enough to make Charlie disappear, now you have me killing these three as well?"

"Fuck you!" Emmett spat. "You take a step toward us and your ass is mine, you cunt!"

Renee's ears went back in annoyance, but her face showed mock hurt. "Such a rude young man! A mouth like that oughta be slapped."

A flash of white passed me by, and I heard the tearing of steel. Charlie was on the ground, gasping for breath, and Bella, Jasper and I turned to see Emmett, on the ground, clutching his face. Renee was facing him, standing tall on all fours. I spotted venom dripping from the claws on her left paw. Emmett got up and stumbled toward us, and when I got a closer look, I could see that his face had been torn open all the way to the back of his throat. He gurgled and gasped in pain.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! Emmett!" Jasper grabbed him as he crumpled to the ground. Bella took one look at Emmett, and launched herself at Renee. The two werecats rolled around in a massive, snowy ball of fur, ripping and biting and tearing at each other, screeching at the top of their lungs.

I went to Emmett's side, and he thought to me, 'Edward, it hurts so much. My face...'

"I'm calling Carlisle." I stood up, only to hear a coughing, wheezing reminder that Charlie was still there. He was about to be crushed by the brawling pair, so I ran over, snatched him up, and brought him, with Jasper and Emmett, away from the battle. I set him down, but before I could reach for my phone, I heard the rest of the family running toward us.

_I saw what was happening. Esme will take care of Charlie, the rest of us will help Bella. _Alice was first to pop into my head.

_Swear to God, if that bitch touched Emmett..._ Rosalie didn't know how right she was.

_Edward, I don't want anyone to interfere, we know vampires aren't strong enough._ Carlisle was confident Bella could handle herself.

_I hope Bella can hold her own. _Esme echoed my own thoughts.

They broke through the tree line, and the first thing they registered was the writhing ball of screeching monsters. Then they spotted Emmett and Jasper in the ground. Emmett took a moment to lift his hands off of his face; the wounds had not healed yet. His jaw was hanging sickly from his face, and the skin was drooping down in ribbons. Venom slowly dripped out of his mouth.

I was met with the instantaneous fury of my whole family, and Rosalie wailed at the sight of her mate so badly hurt. She got down on the ground and hugged him, while he winced in pain and put a hand back on his face to keep it together. Carlisle was probably the most furious I'd ever seen him, and he was torn from attending to his son, and ripping Renee a new one.

The screeching had stopped, and I turned to see Bella standing in front of us, panting hard, blood dripping from various places along her body. Renee was opposite her, also breathing heavily, with blood coming down her sides. There was much more of it on Bella, and she was shaking, weak with exhaustion.

"This isn't worth it, child," Renee cooed. "Your human father has no place among the supernatural. He will die one day, and you will be left with only me. It only makes sense to kill him now, spare him the agony of old, mortal age. Better he die an exciting, quick death than a slow, boring, painful one."

Bella simply hissed. She was too tired to speak.

"You aren't Death!" I yelled at her, standing at Bella's side. "You can't choose who lives and dies. And you sure as hell don't decide Bella's future. We are her family, not you. You're the meanest, sickest thing to ever exist, and you'll rot in Hell!"

Bella nodded, in agreement. Our family hissed behind us, also in full confidence. They all loved Bella, and liked Charlie. There was no way we would let them be taken from us.

Rosalie had now stepped forward, remembrance and fury carved on her elegant face. "You! You attacked me, years ago, you monster! I can smell your distinctive, disgusting breath from here!"

"You know, Carlisle," Renee growled, "Your children are so disrespectful. You've even turned my daughter into more of a brat and an instigator than I could have ever thought possible, being what she is. But you won't have to worry much longer. I'll be taking ca-"

Her monologue turned into a gurgled screech as not only Rosalie, but Esme as well, launched themselves at Renee and sunk their teeth into her thick neck. Alice ran at her and clawed at one large arm, while Carlisle jumped into the evil werecat's face. Renee reared and reached for him with her free hand, but I grabbed it and broke it. Her scream was barely discernable from the wretched bubbling of the blood in her lungs and throat.

That is when she changed. As if she were a chameleon, Renee's fur blended into a solid, mangy black, and pieces began to fall off. Her body became slender, more angular, and her nose lengthened out. Two long, sharp canines, yellowed with age, grew out of her upper lips. And, as I was whipped around, her eyes turned bright red.

Renee's own yowl, through the gurgle of blood, was so grating and shrill it hurt our sensitive ears, and we were flung from her body. I was tossed onto my back, so I used the momentum to complete the roll, and push myself into the air with my arms. When I landed on my feet, a matted, ratty looking werecat barreled into me, and I held her face as her jaws snapped inches away from my face.

"Aw, god, you nasty, motherfucking - gah!" Her breath was rotten, made up from the stink of dead flesh and the sour, hair raising stench of human garbage. Renee continued to try and bite my face off, snarling, throwing gobs of saliva everywhere. One drop hit my cheek, and it started to burn. I screamed through the pain.

Suddenly, Renee was gone, and when I gained my bearing, I saw that she had been tossed off of me and into a nearby redwood. The impact caused the tree to shudder and groan, but it miraculously kept standing. Renee slumped onto the ground, belly up. She was stunned, and in fact, there was a sickening dent in her skull, just above her jaw.

Bella turned to look at me, and panicked. "His face! What do I do?!"

Charlie weakly managed to say, "Think healing thoughts. Then groom him."

Bella took a deep breath, came over, and licked me. The pain immediately subsided, and I felt my stony skin grow and knit back together. I sighed in relief. Bella marched back over to where Renee lie, sputtering blood through her mouth and throat. The bubbling turned to sick, weak laughter as mother and daughter looked each other in the eye.

"I'll... I'll n-never... be gone... Bella... You'll-"

There was a fleshy ripping sound, and blood splashed against Bella's face. She had ripped Renee open from the sternum down to the crotch, entrails pouring out of her. Renee flailed weakly, then collapsed, her eyes going dark. The last breath shuddered out of her, and Renee was no more.

Bella spat a hiss, and walked over to where Emmett and Charlie sat. She went behind Emmett, lied down on the ground, and began to slowly lick his face, being gentile as she wrapped her massive, bloody paws around him. Miraculously, Emmett's face sealed back up, and when Bella stopped her grooming, he worked his jaw thoroughly to make sure it was in perfect condition. Rosalie laughed, half relieved, half hysterical, and ambushed him, tossing them both to the ground.

"Hey, now, you didn't think I'd lose my pretty face forever, now did ya, babe?" Emmett chuckled softly, rubbing Rosalie's back soothingly as she dry sobbed in utter relief.

The others relaxed, and Carlisle got closer to examine Emmett's face. He nodded, noting that there wasn't a single scar on him. Esme hugged Alice, and Jasper hugged the two of them together. Its at that point that Bella collapsed, and Charlie and I were the first ones to rush over. Charlie held up her enormous head, and I held her right arm, which appeared broken. "Bella? Can you hear me?"

"Sweetie, c'mon." Charlie pulled her longer, blood covered fur from her face. "Groom yourself." He said it so caringly, with the added thoughts in his head, I had no doubt in my mind he knew of Bella and Renee, and had no objection to his daughter being a werecat.

Bella could barely move, so together Charlie and I moved her head closer to her broken arm. She meekly licked the injury, which stitched itself together. The two of us continued to help her heal, along with Carlisle and Emmett. It took half an hour to do so, but afterward she was clean, healed, and weak. She shuddered and resumed her naked, human form. I grabbed my jacket and wrapped her into it, carrying her into Charlie's house. We made sure there were no nosey neighbors around before going in. I sat down on the couch with Bella in my lap, gently and methodically untangling her hair with one hand, and supporting her with the other. Charlie sat in what must have been his chair, Carlisle and Esme sat with me on the couch, so that Bella was lying on all three of our laps. Rosalie and Emmett stood opposite of Charlie, just glad to be together. Alice had run back to the meadow to grab Bella's previously discarded clothes, and Jasper stood behind me and the couch, helping maintain a level of calm.

"So," Charlie said after a minute of uncomfortable silence, "You guys are, I'm taking a wild guess, vampires?"

Carlisle thought it best to take control of this conversation. "Yes, we are, but we don't drink the blood of humans."

"Then what?"

"We hunt the local fauna, careful not to upset the balance of predator-prey. I myself have never followed what others may call the 'normal diet'."

"If I may ask, who has?" Charlie raised an eyebrow. As the chief of police, he presumed (correctly) that he had the right to know, because he would keep an eye on those of us so we wouldn't hurt his citizens.

_Charlie is very smart, and very observant. I wonder just how much he knows? _ Jasper studied Charlie's body language as he simultaniously tasted his emotions

I spoke up first, wanting to get my shame out of the way. "I have. When I was in my early years, I went through a rebelious stage, and left Carlisle and Esme. I took up hunting rapists, serial killers, muggers, any man who was guilty of committing heinous crimes. But I began to understand that I was not the one to serve justice, if what I did could be called that. I came back to Carlisle and Esme and got back on the horse, as some might say. I have never killed an innocent, but I am no saint." I looked down at the floor, guilt filling me.

I heard the faint squeak of the metal springs in his chair as he leaned forward. "At the time, though, you only killed the guilty?"

"Yes, sir." I felt more than embarrassed, I felt like I still had the remnant of the monster of those years still in me.

He was silent for a minute, and though I couldn't clearly hear his thoughts, he was in a more forgiving mood than I could have dreamed. "Well, I can't prosecute you, since this has to be out of my jurisdiction by species and by the time span that has passed. And, also, I believe you are a good man, and not some cold blooded murderer. Son, you and your family, whatever your crimes, accidental or purposeful, are forgiven with me. I can't hate those who would put their lives in danger for me and my daughter. Especially when it came to Renee."

"How did you know about them being werecats?" Carlisle leaned forward also, partly out of looking more relaxed for Charlie's sake, and partly from curiosity. It seemed the human knew more about the supernatural we were led to believe.

"I found out when Renee became pregnant. Because, well... When a werecat gets passionate, a female, at least, will transform into a more beautiful, sexual beast, designed to lure men in. She said I was lucky she got pregnant that time. She didn't say much else, but I can infer there were many more men before me, and they probably didn't last long in her care."

"You mean... She ate humans?" Rosalie looked repulsed. _Fucking gross. I was almost a meal for her! _

He shrugged. "I don't know, but I wouldn't put it past that old hag. I'm pretty sure Bella wouldn't do that, though."

Rosalie and Esme exchanged a quick look; they weren't about to tell Charlie that Bella had, if under some berserk rage, partially devoured a serial rapist.

"Either way, when I found out, there wasn't much I could do. Run away? Tell the cops? Tell anyone? Hell, I might as well have stuck myself on the barbeque and called it a day. I offered Renee shelter, and she grudgingly accepted. When she was close to giving birth, she disappeared into the forest. A day later, she came back with Bella, and asked for my help for a year. It would be in that time that Renee could determine whether or not her daughter was a werecat."

Charlie rocked back into his chair. "That whole year was uncomfortable, and when Bella transformed into probably the cutest little infant-sized kitten ever, Renee announced to me that she was taking Bella with her back to her home in Phoenix. Again, there wasn't much I could do. We divorced, she moved with Bella, and I rarely saw her except for those brief summers, and then not at all until now." He stared lovingly at his daughter in my lap. "All I wanted for her was normalcy, but in a supernatural world, its near impossible for the human kind of normal. I'm just happy that she has you all to be there for her, and that Renee is dead."

"Well, we certiantly helped in the Renee department," Emmett said with a chuckle. Rosalie playfuly slapped him upside the head, and he mockingly winced.

"I know that we all consider her family, Charlie." Esme spoke kindly to him, as she smiled down at Bella. "I, nor any of them, would dream of letting her succumb to more hardship. I love her as if she were my own daughter."

Charlie nodded. "I'm glad; she needs a better mother figure."

"I think the same as well, what both of you say." Carlisle wrapped an arm around his wife, and planted a quick kiss in her cheek. There was a blur of motion as Alice whipped into the room with a bundle of neatly folded clothes in her hand.

"Um, I'm sort of must throwing this out here, but Bella said Renee remarried. What happened to that guy?"

Charlie clasped his hands together, and then put his face in them. "I got a call from the police a few minutes before the witch arrived saying Phil was so mutilated that either a pack of rabid Great Danes was in the neighborhood they lived in, or a serial killer was on the loose. They asked if I had seen Renee, and I told them truthfully that I hadn't. It was only after the phone call I was grabbed and dragged outside."

Emmett shook his head. The rest of us remained silent, paying our own sort of respects to this innocent human. I stroked Bella's head, knowing fully she was awake. She just wanted Charlie to tell us as much as he knew, and she was too tired to talk. I could infer this well enough without telepathy.

After that moment of silence, I asked, "Are there any other things about werecats you know? We need all the information we can get."

Charlie looked up, and he gave me a small smile before becoming serious. "Edward, as a father, can I ask you something?"

I raised an eyebrow, cautious. "Yes, sir."

He nodded. "Now, be honest with me: do you love my daughter?"

I kept my face calm, even though I was sweating, figuratively of course. I took a deep breath, arranging my words carefully. "I only met Bella a little while back, but in that time I have come to deeply care for her, and before she sensed you were in danger, it looked as if she had done the same. I can say I have been permanent changed, and that I do love her, but until she accepts my love, I cannot hope to have a blessing of any kind from you."

He chuckled. "Well, in this time, there's not much a father can say to his daughter about these things. I don't even have to give permission, really. You two could run off and elope in Vegas!" he laughed, and so did my siblings, who thought it funny to picture me eloping with Bella in front of an Elvis preacher. Well, except for Alice, who glowered at me.

'If you do marry this girl, you better not! I want to plan the wedding!'

I moved my shoulders ever so slightly in a shrug only she could see.

"Anyway, Edward, I do give you my blessing to be her boyfriend, if she wants you to. But I have to warn you, a werecat gets what a werecat wants. I wouldn't put it past her to be much crazier than a bull in heat, as far as I can tell!" He laughed heartedly this time, and I could see a very foggy version of a memory of Renee, before she went psycho, being very wild indeed. I would have blushed if I could, but I endured the momentary recollection. "Ah, but yeah, I'll tell you what you need to know. Its not much, but it might be enough to survive her. " He sat back and waited for a question.

"Charlie, we've all seen her more powerful form, but when I was with her before the whole fiasco started, she had turned into something quite more... Uh, alluring. Is that form normal?"

He smirked. "So she's already done it, huh? Well, its like I told you, a werecat female will use that form to, as Renee put it, mate. But Bella normally isn't so forward, so she might get carried away for a few things, but she'd have to build up confidence to even suggest sex. Still, that's what that form is for."

Jasper took this time to speak up. "Charlie, you're so calm right now, its hard for me to understand. I have the ability to feel and manipulate the emotions around me, you see, so its confusing to me that a human would be so nonchalant about his daughter's supernatural, sexual desires."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "When you come face to face with a sex hungry, cold blooded beast like Renee, and live to tell the tale, there's nothing off the table. Bella needs all the help she can get, and a shy, non cooperative father would not be the best help."

I saw the glint of a tear roll down Bella's cheek. I wiped it away so no one saw.

It was Carlisle's turn. "What can you tell us about her werecat forms?"

"Well, the alluring one, as Edward put it, only happens when she feels extreme love or lust. She will be much more appealing to the object of her desires, and it will be hard to resist her. But her stronger form is quite the opposite. It is rage induced, fueled by anger, hatred, and bloodlust. She will be hard to stop in her rampage, but afterwards she can use that form in a more civil manner. I once calmed Renee down when she turned because of a stupid dog that wouldn't stop howling, so it is possible, but it nearly cost me my arm. You guys are probably less fragile than I am, but still, be careful. You don't want to end up like Renee did; that acid spit is pretty powerful."

"Are there any other properties of her saliva?"

"Her spit acts according to what she needs. Its like she can command at will what she does with it. Her anger will produce the acid spit, while caring for the injured, self or otherwise, can heal. There's one more I know of that's very similar to a vampire's venom." He paused. "Her saliva acts, in this situation, as a... aw, what was it? A... coagulant and an anticoagulant."

"Come again?" I couldn't believe what he was saying.

"Uh, her saliva helps her... that is, if she wanted to... um, drink blood."

There was complete silence. Us vampires stopped breathing. So did Bella, for a moment before she decided to "wake up".

"What?!" She looked at her father incredulously. "I drink blood?! What the fuck?!"

"Bella, I thought you were asleep!" Charlie was now turning bright red.

"No! And when were you going to tell me you knew about all of this?" She was beyond flustered, and I rubbed her back and held her hands as she began to slowly shake.

"When you were safely out of Renee's influence. She knew that one day you'd be stronger than her, and that's why she constantly abused you. I couldn't stop her, she'd slice me to ribbons. I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that, but I had no choice-"

"Yeah, alright," Bella waved the apology aside. She stood up, wrapping my jacket around her tighter. "But why the hell would I need to drink blood? That's a vampire thing! Not a me thing!"

Charlie held up his hand defensively. "Renee explained to me like this: its a process that brings the werecat closer to their mate. A bond more intimate than a vampire feeding. You not only drink your partner's blood, but you also give him, through your saliva, pleasure inducing hormones, I think. You make him feel... incredible, as he does you. The blood you take from him is filled with this, uh, chemical, and it makes you feel good too."

"And how do you know?" Bella had walked behind a wall in the kitchen and had been pulling on her clothes Alice handed to her, and she now walked back around the corner to stare at Charlie, arms crossed.

Charlie blushed even harder; I heard Jasper swallow painfully. "She did it to me the night you were conceived."

Bella became stunned in embarrassment. She looked down, unwilling to speak. Carlisle looked at me, wondering if he should continue. I nodded; Bella wasn't gonna talk anytime soon.

"Do you know if a werecat has ever done it to a vampire before?"

Charlie scratched his head. "Not that I know of. From what I learned, werecats have only mated with each other or humans. Never a vampire."

Carlisle nodded. "Well, are there any other abilities Bella might have? Powers she might not know of?"

He shook his head. "Whatever else she can do is something she has to find out. Any knowledge of her species died with Renee, unless there are other werecats around."

Bella finally was able to look up. "Did I kill the only other werecat in existence?"

"Well, Bella," Jasper spoke up. "We we discussing, the night after you shopped with the girls, that very question. I remember, back from my time in the south, hearing of cat men in the Amazon. They were pushed north by vampiric movements, and we think Rosalie may have run into one of these beasts in Houston."

"Actually," Rosalie interrupted, stepping toward Bella. "I know now, for a fact, that my attacker was just killed; Renee was the werecat from all those years ago."

Bella hugged Rosalie tight. "I'm so sorry. I promise, no one in this room will ever be hurt by another werecat ever again."

"Up here, that's an easy promise. Renee told me it felt wrong to her, being so far north. You seem to be ok with it, though." I could see one of Charlie's memories of her, with much shorter fur than Bella. I figured that being born in a colder climate than her mother forced Bella to create this adaptation as she grew. I made a mental note to discuss it with Carlisle.

Bella nodded, fierce determination burning in her brown eyes. "Good. I swear, by everything under the sun, I will kill anyone who so much as looks at any of you funny. And I'm keeping that promise, even if it becomes the death of me."


	18. Chapter 17

Bella POV

I was sitting in my room the following Saturday, alone, since Charlie had been called into work to investigate something connected to the missing people. It was pleasantly cool, so I had my window open. The week had gone by without much more excitement on the outside, but inside I was practically squirming.

Edward had confessed to everyone, including myself, that he loved me. I had almost wanted to bolt up right then and kiss him, but I was too nervous. I kept still, even though I was still worried Edward could tell I wasn't asleep in his lap. I had made up my mind that I was going to just go along for the ride, and see what happened. I wasn't about to jump head first without any thought.

In fact, much of my thoughts were very lewd in nature, and of course they all starred what I thought Edward would look like naked. I had just taken a very hot shower, and I was completely relaxed, lounging in just a single towel on the bed. Today there was a feeling I couldn't get rid of since I had woken up. I felt very warm, specifically in my private area. I didn't know what this was, so I put a finger down there to touch it. The tip of my finger brushed against my clit, and a pleasurable shiver ran up my spine. Anxious, and going on a hunch, I continued my tactile exploration of my now swollen lips and somewhat moist opening. It all felt really good, but what felt best was my clit. So I went back up and slowly massaged it, going in small circles. Oh, did it feel good!

My back arched as a new wave of pleasure shot through my body. I rubbed faster, this sensation I had found too amazing to give up. It climbed, my heart beating faster, my skin getting incredibly hotter. I burst into my lust form as I climaxed, and a yowl escaped my throat. The throbbing of blood in my lips and all through my crotch relaxed me into my first true cat nap.

When I woke up, it had only been fifteen minutes. I had shifted back, so I gathered up my towels, put a pair of ragged jean shorts and a blue tank top on, dried my hair, and otherwise got ready for the day. The Cullens had all wanted to go to the beach, so I was bringing along a two piece that I had bought online with next day shipping: it was a black, Victorian style bikini. I laughed to myself; it was a modern made swimsuit, but the style was hopefully in the same era as one of the vampire's human days. When I bounded down the stairs, Charlie was waiting for me, with a beach towel in his hand.

"Good morning! I think you might need this." he said jovially, smiling warmly. I tucked the towel in my beach bag. I kissed him on each cheek, grabbed a couple of granola bars and a big bag of beef jerky, and headed out. I didn't drive the truck; it would have been to much trouble. Beside, even though I had suggested First Beach, Edward quickly reminded me of the situation there, so instead we were all going to a more private beach. When I heard that, I thought they had meant that it was their beach, privately owned. Edward assured me it wasn't, that it was just a beach too hostile and remote for humans to take a liking to.

I was running, but I was still in human form, so I was being careful to stay off the main roads. I was headed to a beach around Port Angeles, so I was going through a lot of forest. But I felt there was something following me halfway to my destination. I would occasionally stop and look around, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I chalked it up to going through unfamiliar territory, and kept going.

I could smell them long before I heard them, and when I heard them, it sounded as if Emmett was giving the girls some grief. I knew I was close by the smell of salt, so I set my stuff down and stalked forward. I ended up right behind Emmett, who was standing in front of a vacant tide pool. From the look of Alice and Rosalie, he had flung handfuls of algae at them, and they were complaining about their hair. I rolled my eyes.

"Geez, it'll come out when you get in the water!" Emmett said, echoing my own reasoning. But I was on the girl's side right now, so when Alice spotted me I held my finger up to quiet her. Emmett was now laughing as Rosalie was trying to pull the green gunk out of her hair. His laugh turned into a surprised yell as I pushed him, hard, into the tide pool. The girls doubled over laughing, and the others came over to investigate.

I quickly surveyed the swimwear. Carlisle was wearing khaki cargo shorts and an open, light cotton, button up shirt. Esme was in a simple gunmetal grey one piece, with a cute, oversized straw hat and big Hollywood glasses. They smiled and waved at me. Jasper, bounding over to smother Alice in kisses, was shirtless, and also in cargo shorts, but they were a light grey. Alice herself was in a very cute hot pink one piece, which had a low v neck and almost no back to it. Rosalie had a skimpier red two piece on, and Emmett had bright red and orange Hawaiian themed swim trunks on.

Edward was last to arrive, being slowed by his own boisterous laughter. He was wearing cargo shorts, like his father and brother, but these were navy blue, with gold trim and a fleur de lis on the bottom of the right leg. To my dissapointment, though, he was wearing a white shirt, too. "Way to go, Bella." He hugged me tightly. When he pulled away, he noticed my clothing. "Why aren't you in your swim stuff yet?"

I shrugged. "I didn't want to run through the forest in what I'm going to wear. Gimme a second, I'll change." I disappeared into to brush, and came out a little later in my outfit. Emmett was climbing out of the tide pool when he saw me.

"Whoa, what's with the old school, Kitty? Going to a ball later?" he laughed.

I held my chin up, and in the best British accent I could muster, replied, "No, sir. Though I do say that no woman should go anywhere without proper style! And besides," I countered, returning to my regular voice, "It's our day to have fun, with no human restriction. I'm gonna dress how I want. So," I stuck my tongue out, going "nyah".

Edward hugged me from behind, picking me up and swinging me in a circle. I squealed before he set me down. "You look amazing."

I turned to him and curtsied. "Thank you, sir."

"Your welcome." He looked at the water and back at me, smiling devilishly. "Race ya!" He took, off, and I followed. We hit the water at the exact same moment, and we came up laughing. The water would be really chilly to humans, but it was nothing for me; my abnormal body temperature kept the water pleasantly cool. I was suddenly dragged under, and I squirmed, holding my breath as best I could. The weight disappeared, so I surfaced, gasping for breath.

Edward was a few yards away, laughing. I narrowed my eyes and ducked under the water. I could hear him calling out for me, as he didn't notice where I had gone. Diving deep, I built up speed, and grabbing Edward, launched ten feet above the surface of the water. Amidst the yelling of my prey, I hear a whole bunch of "Whoa"s from the other Cullens. I flung Edward a good fifty feet out into the water. He came up with a disgruntled face, and pursed his lips as he stared back at me. I laughed so hard I started to sink a little.

"Dammit!" He swam back over to me, and splashed water in my face. "You little pixie!"

"Hey!" Alice yelled out, complaining. "I'm the pixie, not her!"

"She's as frivolous as a fey, so!"

I laughed, wiping my face. "I'm Tinkerbelle's older sister! She ain't got nothin' on me!" All of the Cullens giggled or guffawed.

We had lots of fun throughout the day, us younger ones having fun with our various shenanigans, while Carlisle and Esme relaxed on a nearby log. At one point, Emmett challenged me again, with help from Jasper and, surprisingly, Alice. The two guys were stuck in trees in no time, but Alice was trickier. Because what I now dubbed my "Fighting" form was so big, I thought swatting down little Alice would have been easy. Turns out, a little person can be a big pain in the ass, especially when she dances around you while you struggle to keep her in your sights.

"Ha! Come on, Bella! Is it so hard to catch me?" she giggled as she perched herself on top of my head. With a growl, I quickly reached up to grab her, but she slipped out, twirling in circles around me.

My ears flattened; this fucking pixie was irritating me so much! I slammed a fist down, but knowing she was already going away from my fist, I used the other hand to stop her cold as she ran to the other side of me. She fell on her little pixie butt with an oomph, and I flattened her out with my paws, creating a cage of claw and fur around her. I was huffing and puffing, fur fluffed out a bit in anger.

"Got cha, god dammit!" I huffed before continuing. "Fucking slippery little thing!"

She laughed. "Maybe you should get some pointers from Jasper on sparring; I'm sure he can teach you a thing or two."

I hissed and stalked away, tail flicking back and forth with irritation. My anger was now fueled by shame and embarrassment; how could I, a huge ass werecat, with acid spit, regeneration, incredible senses, and super strength and speed not be enough for this one, tiny adversary? I had every weapon imaginable to tear her asunder, yet I failed to bring her down in a simple brawl. I bounded up into a large spruce, choosing a strong joint of branches to hold me. I heard some one else come up with me, so when I turned and saw Jasper, I hissed.

"Hey, now, don't be a sore loser, Bella. Your strength and style of fighting only works so well against your opponents."

I snarled. "What's all this power for if I can't control her in battle? What happens when I come across someone like her and they're aiming to kill?"

He sighed, leaning on the trunk of the tree. "You need to strategize when you fight, analyze your opponent while fighting him, spot their weakness, and take advantage. Brute force will only do so much."

"Then teach me!" I growled again, my voice getting lower in frustration. "Teach me not to be a failure among immortals! Teach me to control this!" I, and consequently the tree, were shaking as I rose to fury. "Teach me how I turn this monstrous form into a refined killing machine, so I'm not a waste!"

I suddenly tasted something fuzzy and warm, and I began to feel lethargic. My fury was contesting against another emotion as I struggled to keep hold of the branch with my slowly decreasing strength.

"Bella, you aren't thinking strait. Calm down enough to turn back, and then you can try to understand what I'm saying to you." Without looking, he jumped down. I was now so weak that I fell out of the tree and onto my back. I was so sleepy that I had titanic difficulty opening my eyes. At this point, I shifted back to human form, quickly dressed, and walked back out to the group. I was yawning and rubbing my eyes like I had just woken up. "Jasper, the hell, man? I didn't order for nap time!"

He crossed his arms; the others were behind him, except for Edward, who quickly came to my side.

"Bella," Jasper sighed. "Listen to me; swallow that stubborn pride of yours, and train with me. Edward and Emmett can help, as well. We'll teach you to fight all kinds of situations. We can take getting thrown around, but you can't take a bite from us. If you love to fight, you're gonna need to hone your skills. Ok?"

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and breathed out my frustration from before. "Alright. When do we start?"

"Before I can teach you, for the rest of today," He gestured to the sky. "I want to see you hunt. And push your limits. You up for that?"

My stomach growled loudly. I nodded, and smiled. "Can the beast come out to play?"


	19. Chapter 18

Carlisle POV

To hunt as Bella did was an art form all its own. To be witness was to be the audience in the performance.

I hung back, with Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice, as Jasper and Edward led the white-furred huntress deep into the forest. Her massive, fluid body stalked through the undergrowth, nearly silent, even to my ears. She kept her ears and eyes toward the source of her interest - prey, being a herd of elk, about a mile ahead of us. Suddenly, she stopped. She motioned for the two boys to go ahead, and then she looked to me, and flicked her tail to her back. I nimbly jumped from the trees that we were all hiding in, and onto Bella's back, careful to use branches so as not to hurt her. I clutched her long fur tightly, being instructed so by Edward.

"Ready," I whispered. She nodded, still crouching low onto the ground. When her ears twitched, she bunched up her shoulders, bent her legs, and vaulted forward. I held on for dear life, the speed at which she bounded towards her prey at par with maybe some of the best, fastest, most powerful race cars around. Maybe even better. In ten bounds, the prey was in sight, and the sixth leap, she tackled three to the ground with both outstretched paws, and snapped up two in her jaws. All of the elk she managed to catch were killed instantly by the sheer force of her blows. She set these prey down, and with a lightning strike, killed two others. In total, she had three bucks and four does, all plump for the upcoming winter. She steadied herself, and lowered to the ground. I jumped off, and Esme jumped down to my side from the trees above. We watched as Bella piled up the carcasses, and Jasper and Edward came through the trees, astonishment on their faces.

"Jesus Christ!" was Jasper's observation. "I barely saw that! How the fuck-?"

"Jasper!" Esme scolded half heartedly, as she also stared at the elk in amazement. Edward smiled widely, hugging Bella's large neck. Rosalie, Alice and Emmett trailed behind, completely shocked.

"Dude, you took off so fast- what in the... Oh holy shit, you did this?!" Emmett started laughing boisterously, patting Bella on her massive biceps. Rosalie shook her head, but she was still smiling a little. Alice bounded over to where Jasper was, beaming.

Bella looked to all of us, grinning with bloody teeth. "Impressed?"

"Indeed, darling," I replied, brushing her lowered head. "Those are some amazing hunting skills."

"Amazing doesn't even describe it, Carlisle," Jasper said, still in wonder at the pile of prey. "How are you so good at this?" He turned to the werecat.

She shrugged. "Instinct. Pure, nature-driven instinct."

"We need to build your fighting style on that. Every one of us uses our best skills to our advantage; Emmett has his strength, Alice her agility, Edward his telepathy, and me my empathic power and training. I've never seen the others fight, but they each have their strengths. You, Bella, have to harness that natural ability, and refine it." He gestured to the dead elk. "Now, to eat the spoils of the hunt. Show us what you do."

Bella grabbed the biggest buck by the neck, and set it down, separate of the pile. Instead of eating it, though, she pushed it with her nose over to me, and backed away, keeping her head low. She looked at the rest of us before saying, "Take a drink first; the least I can do."

"I can't, Bella, that's your-"

"I insist," she interrupted, ears perking up. "I feel obligated to share. Always have, since I first started hunting. Never wanted to give it to Renee, but for you, and your family, Carlisle, I'd hunt day and night." She pawed at the buck. I grabbed it, and bit down. The blood was still warm, but I only took a little, and gestured for Esme to take some. One by one, the family drank, in a never before done ritual. When the elk was drained, it was set back in the pile.

Without hesitation, Bella took it, and dug in, ripping huge chunks of flesh off and swallowing them whole. It took her an hour to eat them all, but she spared nothing; when all was eaten but bone, she took that, and ground it all to bits with four large molars hidden in the back of her jaws. This took another ten minutes. When she was completely done, she layed out, purring with satisfaction. Her stomach was distended with all of the elk she consumed.

Edward came over to her and gently rubbed her belly, which earned him a light lick on the cheek. I smiled, hugging my darling Esme close. I had hoped, and even day dreamed, that my one lonely son would find a mate, and Bella was the perfect one for him. She was tough, bold, outspoken, and only feared for our safety. He was silent, brooded a lot, and feared many mortal things. Still, he balanced her wild, near savage attitude with his calm, calculating demeanor.

My thoughts were echoed by my Esme. "Aren't they perfect for one another?" she whispered, hugging me close.

I kissed her cheek. "Yes, my love, they are."

"I wonder how much Bella likes prepared food?" she wondered aloud.

I shrugged as the rest of my kids gathered around Bella. "She may have more of a preference to fresh things. And, any meat should be cooked very rare." A low chuckle escaped me. Esme spun me around so we were face to face. She was smiling that amazing, compassionate smile that I fell in love with every time I saw it.

"Carlisle? How is it that Edward came to be the mate of this extraordinary young woman? I had always thought that she'd be one of us, not a werecat." There was no condescending tone in her voice, only curiosity.

"I don't know. But, it really wouldn't have mattered if Bella was a vampire, a werecat, or even a human! They would still be bonded by fate. Its just something that happens along the course of time." I caressed her cheek. "Like I found you, Rose found Emmett, and Alice found Jasper. Bella and Edward's tale was already written; it just took time for the right story to present itself."

My Esme nodded, and strode over to the group. I followed, and sat myself down next to Bella's massive head, with Edward on my right and Alice on my left. Bella was now more upright as she lounged on the forest floor, and when I sat down, she looked at me.

"So, how did I do speed wise, Doc?" Her tail twitched with excitement.

I laughed. "It was incredible. That speed will definitely come in handy."

She wrinkled her nose in annoyance. "I've never been able to move that fast when doing normal things, or even fighting. Its only when I'm running on all fours."

"Then maybe," Jasper suggested, "You can use your stealth and running to get a great surprise attack. When Edward and I were over here, we couldn't hear or smell you until you were right up on us. But now I can hear every sound you make and smell you just fine. I wonder why that is?"

Bella struggled to stand, still sluggish and bloated. "Wait here. I'm going to walk a little ways away, and then stalk you. You have to try and guess which direction I'm going to come from." She smiled. "Don't get too nervous."

When she disappeared in the foliage, it was as if she was never here; her scent and sound were completely gone. All we could smell was each other, and hear the sounds of the forest around us. For a few minutes there was nothing we could sense, and we had no idea where she would pounce from.

Suddenly I was grabbed from behind and dragged into a thick group of ferns. My first instinct made me twist and grab at whatever it was, but as I turned, I was presented with Bella's ocean blue eyes. I breathed a sigh of relief, and she disappeared again. I peeked through the foliage to see Rosalie vanish, and then Alice. Esme was forced into a protective circle, as Edward, Emmett, and Jasper looked around for any sign of Bella. Emmett and Edward were smiling, and Jasper was scanning the trees, putting on his famed Major mask.

That wasn't going to stop Bella though. Esme was yanked out of the circle as the werecat launched herself over the group, twisted upside down to grab her target, and flung Esme into the trees above. And like a ghost, Bella vanished once again. Esme gave me a thumbs up, letting me know she was ok.

"Come on, Bella, fight us! Don't be a coward!" Emmett goaded, wanting to tumble with her once again.

Out of all directions, we heard her say, "Fools let their guard down and reveal their positions. But, if you want, Emmett, I can play."

A flash of white, and Emmett was gone. Edward and Jasper put their backs together, but it wasn't enough. Edward was flung up into the same tree as Esme. Poor Jasper was the only one left, flinching at the slightest noise, looking everywhere. Until Bella flashed to stand right behind him. She grabbed him in both paws, and turned him around so they could be eye to eye.

"Gotcha." She smiled and touched her nose to his. When she let him go, she grabbed the rest of us from our various hiding spots.

Jasper was beside himself. All he could do was hug Alice close. She giggled and twisted around to kiss him. Edward rubbed the top of Bella's nose, Emmett carefully picked leaves and dirt out of Rosalie's hair, and Esme brought me over to Jasper.

"Well done, Bella!" Edward kissed her furry cheek, and she purred loudly. "That was the best surprise attack I've ever seen!"

"Haha, no one can stand up to you, Kitty Cat!" Emmett jumped on her back and started scratching away at her shoulder. Bella started to tiptoe, with her tail strait up, clearly in love with Emmett's fingers. Rosalie and Esme were now together, admiring Bella's fluffy tail.

I gestured to Bella's paw, and asked, "May I see them?" She nodded and set her right paw in my hands. It was so big that I had to grasp her wrist with one hand, and with the other I held up her fingers. Each digit was as thick as the palm of my hand, and the pads of her hand were rough like the paw pads of a cougar. In between her fingers and surprisingly dexterous thumb was dense, soft, plentiful fur, which I guessed was part of the secret to her success.

Her claws were even more unique. They did not retract fully, like most other cats, wild or tame. Instead, they were more like the claws of a wolf, or more precisely, a cheetah, who used non-retractable claws for bursts of speeds. With Bella's stocky, muscular body, she could maintain those speeds for long distances, in theory. I grasped her paw in a sort of hand shake, and Bella wrapped her fingers around my whole arm. She did it with enough pressure to make the hand shake firm, but not enough to hurt me. I let go, and she set her paw back on the ground.

She looked at me with an amused twinkle in her eye. "Studying me, Carlisle?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Yeah, I was. The secret to your silence is due to your paws." I went on to explain what I observed. Bella studied her own paw as I did, and they all agreed with me.

"But what about your disappearing scent?" Emmett asked, puzzled. "That still isn't explained."

Bella sat on her haunches and thought for a minute. She shrugged. "I dunno. Guess its just one of those mysteries. But still, its pretty cool, don't ya think?"

"Very." Edward petted her furry cheek. Again, I marveled at the bond Edward shared with his gargantuan mate, which earned me a quizzical look from him.

"Sorry, Edward," I apologized. "I'm just happy you finally found someone. Its been a long time coming."

"Hell yeah, it is!" Emmett went to grab Edward and rub his head with a fist. Edward ducked out of the hold and stood beside Bella.

"He wasn't one to be around for a long time." Alice looked at her brother kindly. "We always wanted him to stop being so depressed and lonely. We all felt bad that we had someone to love and he didn't."

At the mention of "love", Bella's ears went back, embarrassed. "Oh," was her reply.

"Oh? Its not just 'oh', Kitty Cat, he was downright scary sometimes. But now he's got you, the sexy feline from heaven!" Emmett made a ridiculous cat noise, to which Rosalie smacked him upside the head.

Bella looked around at us all. "What does this mean? What does love do to a vampire?"

Each of us exchanged looks. "I think Edward can explain that to you better than we can," I said, knowing the others would understand. "We'll give you some privacy. Goodnight, Bella."

As we left Edward to explain, my heart soared. As a father, I couldn't have wanted more for my youngest son. Lonely as he had been since I stole his ailing body from the hospital ward in 1918, I had tried and failed to bring him the same happiness I had with Esme. Rosalie, however, had been meant for a different path; Emmett was a happy addition to our family, albeit he was a bit dude and childish.

Still, I had always hoped for someone like Bella to come around. But I had never imagined such a girl would be as powerful, and as mysterious, as a werecat.


	20. Chapter 19

Bella POV

I looked at Edward as the others ran back to the house. My enormous heart was beating fast, and a warm shiver ran down my spine.

He took a deep breath before speaking. "Ok. When a vampire finds their mate, its an irrevocable love. Nothing and no one will replace their mate if something were to happen. If you were to die, I would want to follow you in death. I know that we've only known each other for a little while, but that's all a vampire needs." He stopped, staring lovingly and endearingly at me.

My heart beat at a crazy rhythm, and my body transformed into the seductive werecat. I pulled him close as I rolled onto the ground, so that he was on top of me. And wordlessly, I kissed him. My tongue entered his mouth, and I tasted his deliciousness. He quickly responded to my advance, and gripped the back of my neck and my cheek. My tail wrapped around him, and as we kissed, I purred. He responded even more to this, and tightly gripped my sides. He lifted off my face and looked at me, passion and lust clear in his eyes.

"I love you, Bella."

"I love you too, Edward," I replied with my light voice.

"Bella, don't ever think there's anyone more exquisite, more beautiful, more amazing, than you. I worship the ground you walk on."

I crashed my lips back to his, too longing to speak my emotions. I would show him how I felt. I placed a hand on his back, and tore his shirt off, throwing the tatters onto the ground a few feet away. I traced his smooth, muscular back, reaching my other hand to hold his head. His supple skin made me shiver in delight and in anticipation.

Pain. A flash. The body of the rapist from Port Angeles flew into the forefront of my mind. Blood. Rage. Anger. There was no stopping the images. James. Victoria. Pain shot up from my neck to my head.

I stopped kissing Edward, and pushed him off as more and more horrible visuals assaulted me, memories pushing up from earlier and earlier in my life. I was shaking, but my transformation wasn't coming. Instead, I saw Renee, the center of all my torture, as she stood over me, her nasty black fur choking me while she gripped my face. Another memory, as she scored her claws across my back. Another, as she beat me to a pulp with her bare hands because I had had the courage to stand up to her. That memory was the worst, as she had been able to wail on me for a solid hour, non stop. I had cried, begged her to quit, apologized over and over. She didn't stop. What did I do? I sat there and hoped for mercy.

I held my head in my hands as the memories blurred together, and Renee's last words echoed in my mind. _"I'll never be gone..." _

"No, you're dead!" I screamed, hoping the voice would go away.

_"I'll never be gone, Bella," _ she said again, mocking me. When I looked up, she was standing there, ghostly, more terrible than before, blood stained to her already unkept fur, her entrails dragging along the forest floor.

"Get away from me!" I stood up, violently shaking, wanting desperately to transform into my Rage form, to make Renee vanish. Hadn't I dealt with her enough? When I stood, I saw a figure emerge from the trees. Jasper, looking at me, confused. He was right behind Renee. She looked back at him, and lunged.

"No! Jasper!" I screamed.

When Renee made contact, her claws reaching out, I cringed, waiting to hear the tearing of vampire flesh. Instead, she vanished. Jasper stared at me as if I had grown a second head.

"Bella, what in the hell is wrong?" he asked in his Southern accent.

I erupted, and my right arm made contact with something rock hard. When I searched for it, I witnessed Edward, flying ten feet in the air. He landed on the ground with a bang, sending a cloud of dirt and leaves I stood there, horrified, fearing I'd hurt him. When he got up, I rushed over, pushing my head into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, gently rubbing his hands behind my ears.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I didn't mean to!"

"Bella, I'm ok, really," he assured me, holding my head so he could look me in the eye. "Are you?"

I pointed with a claw toward where the bloody Renee had been standing. "She was there! Renee! I saw her! She attacked Jasper!"

Jasper came over to us, and looked at him knowingly. He and Edward were having a silent conversation, I knew, but at the moment I didn't care. I was on edge, scouting around, sniffing for her. I didn't want this horror to come back.

Edward was now tugging at me. "Come on, love, let's get back home." He guided me towards the big house, with Jasper stepping alongside me on the other side. I focused on the gentle fingers of both vampires as they continued their silent communication, and I accepted Jasper's soothing empath power. When we arrived, Alice and Esme ran to my side, while Carlisle talked with Edward and Jasper. I heard them say things like "seeing things" and "mental break down", while the girls around me said things like "love you", and "Renee's dead, Bella". When Carlisle mentioned the possibility of me being "delusional", I slammed my fist into the ground, causing everyone around me to freeze, while Rosalie and Emmett came outside to investigate, as if they didn't know what was going on.

"If I'm delusional, Doctor, should I be coming to you regularly for psychological sessions?" I asked Carlisle sarcastically, looking at him with my teeth bared.

Carlisle looked at me, slightly annoyed. "Bella, its not a joke. If you saw your dead mother, we need to know what's going on. Are you regretful of-"

"No!" I stood up, claws out in anger. "Charlie and Emmett were in danger!"

"Then do you think Renee is really still alive?"

I looked at the ground, huffed in annoyance, and replied, "I don't know. It seemed... I dunno, too easy."

"Easy?" Emmett asked skeptically. "That bitch got me so quick I didn't realize it until two seconds later! And she nearly did you in with all those scratches and broken bones! You think THAT was easy?!"

"That woman tortured me for years, Em. She beat me, scratched me, starved me, isolated me... She did everything possible to make my life a living hell. I survived seventeen years of shit from her, all without any way of truly escaping it. Not until I came here. When I rented that woman in two, I was relieved. I was free of her." I looked knowingly at everyone. "Maybe I still have this gut feeling she's still alive. What happened to the body?"

Jasper hissed softly. "We buried it about three miles from here. I can show you, if you want."

I nodded. "Take me. I wanna know she's gone."

Jasper led me to the site, with the other men following. When we got to a large boulder, which looked very out of place considering the mountains were still a ways off, Jasper stopped. He pointed at the ground, where the boulder was. There was disturbed earth there, and it smelled faintly of old blood and flesh in the earliest stages of decay, as well as dirty fur and the incredibly stale, almost non existent bit of fear Renee had as I dug my claws into her chest.

"We dug a hole ten feet deep and only four feet wide. We dumped her, and Emmett filled the hole with gravel as well as dirt. Edward, Emmett, and I placed the boulder on top as a marker. I have to admit, we all kinda had a weird feeling when we buried her. I swear I myself thought she was going to come back alive. But its done. Bella, you managed to rupture her heart with that final blow, and I think even werecats need that to heal." He turned to me. "Your fear is irrational."

"Yep!" Emmett patted my shoulder and bounded over to Jasper's side, spitting venom on the boulder. "That asswipe is dead, gone, and forever stuck down there! We took care of it, Kitty Cat! No need for her to ruin any more of your days."

I shook my head, which in turn made me shake my entire body. I took deep breaths, while Edward silently jumped onto my back and proceeded to run his hands through my fur in a relaxing way. "I'll be ok, I just... I just need time."

Carlisle came to my side, and waved Emmett and Jasper away. They ran back in the direction of their house. Carlisle said, "Go home with Edward. See Charlie. We've been out all night, and you probably need rest. If you still feel uneasy, find ways to distract yourself." He patted my arm, and followed his sons.

On the run back to Charlie's, with Edward on my back, I reasoned that no one could come back from the dead. They were all right, I knew. Edward himself agreed with me, and also, to my amusement, promised to protect me as a mate should. That's what brought me to a walk, and gave me the ability to distract myself.

"You consider me your mate?" I asked.

"Yes, love." I squirmed a little when he called me "love". He chuckled and continued. "I do. Its a bit more that what humans call being "boyfriend/girlfriend" nowadays, though. Like I said before, my love for you is irrevocable. I would do anything for you." There was a pause. He leaned forward until he was lying down on his stomach, with his head atop mine. "What do you think of me?"

I gathered my thoughts together before answering, slowing my pace to a peaceful stride. "I think I feel the same way. My dream or vision or whatever it was of that "angel" in the field was what my hope lived off of ever since my transformation ability started. That day you made the dream into reality solidified the love I was beginning to feel for you. I had fought it at first, thinking it was so stupid to immediately fall for some guy I just met in a town I just moved into." I scoffed, and he laughed at that. "But I think fate, or whatever you call it, has brought everything and every one of us together for a reason. The two of us must be meant for each other, like two star-crossed lovers in a very cheesy romantic story, filled to the brim with supernatural drama!" We both laughed. "But, in the end, we're just a guy and a girl, who found 'The One'. " I stuck my tongue out, and smiled.

Edward rubbed the top of my head. "This is one of the many things I love about you; you are just so silly most of the time, and you aren't afraid to speak your mind." He hopped down and kissed my cheek, but quickly spat out a few hairs. "Ugh, maybe you can change back? I think every one of your forms is beautiful, but kissing fur will give me more hairballs than I want, love."

"And how many hairballs do you want?" I laughed, playfully shoving him with my shoulder.

"None." He smiled his irresistible, crooked smile.

I stood up on two legs to shift back, but realized that my clothes were with Alice. Before I could say anything, though, the pixie herself zoomed toward us out of nowhere, tossed me my bag, and ran off again. I shooed Edward away, transformed, put my clothes back on, and joined up with him by jumping on his back, growling. "Damn if that sister of yours isn't handy."

"In most situations, she is, however, I caught her thoughts before she could get out of my hearing range. Seems as if she was debating on whether or not she'd give that back to you," he said, eyeing the tote in my hand.

"That little witch!"

"I thought we'd agreed she was a demon pixie?"

"Same difference!" I hugged his neck, not worried about choking him, and kissed his cheek.

"I thought you were a werecat! Now I find you clinging to me like a little spider monkey! What's up with that?" He grabbed my legs and lifted me up a bit, letting me get comfortable.

"What, am I too heavy for you?"

"Not at all, Bella. Im just trying to get all of these animals sorted out is all."

"Guess im just naturally wild!" I leaned over and whispered in his ear, all seductive-like, "Would you like that? Wild Bella?"

He growled deeply, sending shivers up my body. "Don't tempt me, darling. But, yes, I would. I do. Now come on, we're almost there. We can't have Charlie seeing his daughter being inappropriate with a boy. He's liable to shoot me!"

After a second of silence we both laughed. That's when we emerged from the forest, and we saw my father on the front steps, smiling as we approached.

"It's times like these I'm thankful you can take care of yourself, sweetie. How was your day?"

"Pretty good, Dad. But..." I was a little nervous, so I swallowed it and continued. "I had a flashback of Renee."

Charlie's face fell, and he opened his arms. "Come on, baby girl." I ran to him and let him embrace me. "She ain't gonna bother you no more. You and the Cullens made sure of that."

"I know. I was just a bit paranoid, is all. Carlisle suggested I come back here with Edward, so I could calm down and spend the time with my two favorite men." I smiled and kissed Charlie's cheek.

He chuckled and ushered me and Edward inside. Edward sat on the couch next to me, and Charlie sat in his leather lounger, turning on the tv to, what else, his favorite sports teams.

"You have a favorite team, Edward? Bella prefers her southern teams, don't ya sweetie?"

"TEXANS! ASTROS! WHOOHOO!" I whooped, pumping my fist in the air. Edward laughed, and pulled me down in a hug.

Over my shoulder, he replied, "No sir, but my brothers do, so I've gleaned a lot from extensive research and from the tv constantly being on ESPN. I bet I can find some teams to root for."

"Ah, good man. I still don't understand why she holds onto teams that've been doing poorly the past few seasons, though."

I stuck my tongue out. "They've had some setbacks, but my boys will pull through. It wasn't Kubiac's fault his heart was giving out. I just hope the Texans and the Astros pull through and make me proud!"

Edward rubbed my head and sat me back down on the couch properly. "Well, your faith in them is admirable, sweetie. But those teams don't look very promising. I'm sorry, but I think I'll go with my home teams: Chicago White Sox and Browns."

Charlie nodded his head approvingly. Before he could speak, though, Edward stiffened beside me. My body went into protection mode, and I sniffed around. "What is it?" I asked.

"Billy. He and his son are just down the road."

Oh crap.


	21. Chapter 20

Edward POV

(WARNING: Mature, sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised.)

My muscles tensed at the potential of running into Billy again. From our last encounter he wasn't too happy about me being so close to his best friend and Charlie's daughter. The stories of our kind, and our particular family had been passed down, apparently, and Billy knew they were real. Although I had no intention of upsetting him, the Quileutes had short tempers.

"Oh, geez, I forgot they were commin. What, you got a grudge against them, son?" Charlie scratched his moustache and meandered over to the window to look.

"Actually, Billy resents me and my family. I don't wish to hate them, but they have stories of our kind. Our family has done nothing wrong; the Quileutes just have a natural bias."

"I see. But, you're my guest. And I don't think its fair to kick out one for another. You just sit tight. If things get hairy, I'll straiten it out." I was about to protest, but Charlie held his hand up as the truck turned the corner. "No excuses. Just because Billy don't like ya doesn't mean he has any right to be a grouch under my own roof. Now, I'll go and see him in here. He can sit where that lazy boy is across from mine, but Jacob will have to share with you two on the couch. That alright?"

"Yeah, Dad," Bella replied. She got up and we switched seats so I was closer to Charlie's seat. "Don't worry, babe. If Billy tries anything serious, I'll smack 'em for ya." She smiled brightly.

"I admire your courage, but don't you think this forces more conflict than necessary?"

"Billy already tried to 'warn' me about you once, and I told him off." In a lower whisper, so Charlie couldn't hear, she said, "Besides, that old dog doesn't scare me. He's in a wheelchair for crying out loud. Does that scare you?"

"No," was my quick response. In a normal tone of voice, just at the truck came to a stop and Charlie greeted the Blacks outside, I commented. "You must be pretty brave to have told off your elder."

She shrugged, smiling. "I'm like my dad in that sense; stubborn as Ferdinand sniffing flowers."

My eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Ferdinand?"

Our attention was drawn to the sounds of the door opening and shutting. Bella whispered "later", and got up to greet Jacob as he bounded over to hug her.

"Hey, Bells. Wow, um, you got... Buff. You work out?"

She laughed and patted him on the shoulder, which made him wince. "Yeah, a bit. I was complaining that you got bigger. Guess I'm catching up, huh?"

"That's kind of scary, girl. But, you've always been different. It's just you. Oh, hey, um... Oh! Edward, right? I'm Jacob." He held out his hand to shake. I took it kindly, but jumped a little when I noticed how hot his hand was.

When I pulled away, I apologized. "I'm sorry, Jacob. It's a pleasure to officially meet you, I was just a little startled by how hot you were."

_Oh, I thought he was the cold one. _"Oh, really? I feel fine, though."

Bella put her hand up to Jacob's forehead, reminding me just how caring she could be. "Whoa, Jake, you kinda are warm. Well, maybe you were running around a bit?"

"That he was, Bella."

We all turned to the sound of Billy as was ushered into the living room and his wheelchair placed in front of the mentioned chair. Jacob and I moved the furniture so he could be comfortable. Needless to say, even though I was neither upset nor too happy about it, Billy was very upset, just not showing it.

_I can't believe Charlie is allowing this leech to be here. If he were to ever know... But he'd also be worried about us, because obviously there would be the question as to how I knew. Well, I really need to get this monster away from here._

I growled low. Bella got me to sit down and held my hand. Jacob sat on the other side of her, slightly wary of the tension in the room. When Charlie sat down, he looked at Billy knowingly.

Billy continued. "He was helping me around the house. Must've worked up a good sweat, huh Jake?"

The boy looked uncomfortable. "Uh, yeah, I guess."

"Hey, if you're sick, or something else is going on," Bella said, directing this more to Billy, "then it's ok to say something, man. You're my best friend Jacob. _Nothing _is off limits. Yeah?"

He looked very thankfully at Bella. "Yeah. Thanks."

Billy was thinking some very snide thoughts and vulgar words in both our directions now. But his attention was brought over to the television, as was all of ours, when the main event began: Redskins vs Cardinals. As the game began, Billy paid little mind to me, but every now and then, as I cheered on the Cardinals with Bella, he would look my way, and his thoughts were cautious and resentful.

Jacob, however, believing his father's bias toward my family out of place and without much reason, saw me as just another guy - a closer friend to Bella than he could be, at his young age. He knew how Bella viewed him, and he had accepted it. As much as I knew someday we would probably be disgusted with each other, I couldn't help but admire his early wisdom. If we were not natural born enemies, I could have considered him a friend.

When the game ended, with the Cardinals winning by a field goal, Bella celebrated by breaking out in her own rendition of a river dance. Jacob, Charlie and I laughed at her enthusiasm, much to the disappointment of Billy.

"Oh yeah, southern boys got it all!" Bella high-fived me and Jacob.

"Aw, bad luck for us old guys, huh Billy?" Charlie stood up and patted his friend's shoulder before going to the refrigerator to grab more of what they called "vitamin R".

"Yeah, bad luck for us. But don't worry, the right team wins in the end." He plainly stared at Bella.

Bella put her hand on her hip. "What does that mean, huh, old man?"

He shrugged innocently. "Just saying, our boys will trump yours, Bella. Its only a matter of time."

"Well, you're gonna have to wait a long time for that, Billy. Longer than I think you can wait."

Billy huffed and sat back in his seat, thanking Charlie when he was passed the beer. He wasn't analyzing Bella's words as carefully as he should have, only really summing it up to her just protecting me because of puppy love. He was thinking of things to say to Charlie to get me out of the picture, try to make me look bad or seem to be up to no good. Luckily for me, he didn't have the upper hand that I did - Charlie already knew what I was.

Charlie had ordered pizza, and it was now arriving. I helped bring the boxes, holding my breath against the repulsive odor of cheese and mozzarella sauce, and as Charlie and I immediately set them down, Bella and Jacob both rushed the pizza, taking one whole pizza each. Billy and Charlie both had to share the last remaining pizza. I politely refused, saying that I was repulsed by it and most Italian food in general. Charlie's eyes told me what his mind couldn't - he knew the real reason and didn't push it. Billy was being further convinced of my heritage. But Jacob, and surprisingly Bella, got mischievous twinkles in their eyes.

"What, you can't handle a little ol' slice of pizza?" Bella asked jokingly.

"Yeah, tough guy, your stomach too delicate?" Jacob played along with Bella, elbowing her gently.

Even though I understood Bella was merely faking, I knew Jacob would think me a weakling if I didn't eat a slice. So, before the stunned silence of everyone, I grabbed a gooey, sticky, grease-covered slice, and took a massive bite. I chewed slowly, biting back the urge to cough it all up again. When I finally swallowed, Bella's jaw was on the floor. Charlie looked grossed out for me, and Billy was slightly confused.

Jacob stood and cheered, lapping loudly and slapping me on the shoulder in a very triumphant, manly manor. "Way to go, kiddo!"

I scoffed, looking up at him with knowing eyes. "Kid? Excuse me, but you're the youngest one here!"

"But you weren't as experienced as us with the staple food of every young man our age." Bella snickered, and Jacob looked slightly worried about her, but continued. "I'm not convinced, though. Finnish the piece!"

I nodded, and continued shoving the repulsive food item in my mouth. When the entire thing was gone, sitting inside my otherwise vacant stomach, Bella came over and hugged me from behind. I reached back and held her hips, looking up to kiss her. She quickly licked pizza residue off my lips before continuing the kiss.

"You didn't have to do that, babe," she whispered quickly.

"I don't mind this once. Keeps Jacob in the black about me. Besides, I can do this." I quickly stood up, made a face, and rushed - at human speed - up the stairs to the bathroom. Bella followed, and locked the door behind us. I bent over to open toilet and loudly vomited up the undigested pizza.

As I was struggling to undertake this horrible act, Bella gently rubbed my back and held my cheek. It made me think again just how amazing she was, not only as a supernatural beauty, but as a caring, maternal person. She reminded me of the girls back at home; she had Esme's warm heart, some of Alice's bright, excited nature, and some of Rosalie's spunk and attitude, all rolled into a hard core force of sexy nature.

I could hear Charlie running up the stairs, telling his guests to wait while he checked on me. In his mind, he was nervous about how Billy had been looking at me as well as wondering how I was holding up. I was genuinely surprised by his good eye. He was being more careful around Billy, making it look as normal as... Well, a Cullen.

He banged on the door. "You alright there, son?"

I coughed up the last of the greasy residue, and spat, watching as the venom spread out in the bowl. "Uh, yeah, I'll be alright. Thanks, Charlie."

"Not a problem, Edward." There was a pause; I saw in his mind him check the time. "Its late; I'll escort Billy and Jacob back to their house. Bella, take care of him however you need to." We heard him walk down the stairs, thank the Blacks for coming, and they all left. I didn't move until we both heard the cars turn the corner. Bella turned me around, hands on my cheeks, staring worriedly into my eyes.

"You better never pull something like that ever again! What happens when the food actually does something to you?" she scolded, reminding me of my sweet psudo mother, Esme.

I smiled and hugged her close. "Love, I promise I won't do it again. I did it because I needed to fool Jacob some more." I chuckled, thinking back on how she and the others reacted. "Plus, the looks on your faces were downright hilarious."

She pulled away and smacked my shoulder, a scowl on her face. "Not funny."

"Yes it was. You and Charlie must have been on the same wavelength, wondering how in the world I managed to choke down the pizza slice."

"Uh, yeah!" she scoffed. "Was it nasty?"

I nodded, making a grossed-out face. She giggled. "All the grease and cheese... How can you humans stand it?"

"Hey, I'm not human. But, its food. Food makes you live. And, your palate and mine are what they are due to need. Plus, I eat raw meat. You can't say we don't have similar tastes." she pointed out, flicking my nose playfuly, grinning sweetly.

Suddenly, I felt a sensation. It was strange, different, unusual. In order to hide my discomfort, I kissed Bella on the cheek and said, "Go ahead and wait for me in your room, ok? I'll wash up and rejoin you."

Something made her blush, and her heart flutter, but she turned, unlocked the door, and quickly entered her room. I shut the bathroom door and stood there, trying to place the foreign sensation. That's when I realized it was something that my brothers and even Carlisle had described to me, as my loins pulsed and grew rock hard, pushing up against the fabric of my pants.

I was being aroused.

I had discussed the possibility with Jasper, to which he had said, "If it happens, there's no reason to deny it. Only if she doesn't feel comfortable with it yet."

But I knew that Bella was a very sexual being, and she was more than capable, according to Charlie, of getting what she wanted. But was she ready for such a step? Would her human side accept me physically? Charlie was planning on staying over at Billy's for a little while, so that I was well taken care of. He wouldn't be back until midnight, which was three hours from now. I took a deep breath, though I didn't really need it, and strolled out of the bathroom and into Bella's room.

She was lounging on her bed, laying down on her belly. The jean shorts and shirt she wore hugged her body so well it was amazing to behold. The light of the moon from outside illuminated her tan skin, making it look mysterious and angelic. When she turned her head to look at me, her smile took my breath away. I could hear her heart beating faster, I could see her eyelids drop in a seductive manner, and her legs criss-crossed in the air.

My arousal rose. There was no going back for me now.


	22. Chapter 21

Bella POV

(WARNING: Mature, sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised.)

I sat down on my bed, thinking how strange Edward was, to indulge the whims of a sixteen year old just to show off. Not that there was much Jacob could have possibly understood. I felt bad for Edward for what he had to do to get the pizza back up... But I was also thinking about how divine his back looked through the shirt. Of how his shoulders, strong and tough, appeared. When he had hugged me, it sent waves of excitement through my core. I wanted to kiss him right there, but he distracted me with his comment of tastes.

When he asked me to go to my bedroom, and wait for him, I was nervous, but energized, too. I may have imagined something hard and particularly animate rubbing against me through his pants, but then again, it might have been real. I hoped it was.

I turned to lay on my stomach. I imagined what it would be like to see Edward without a stinking shirt on. To run my hands across his marbled chest. I shivered in anticipation.

I wouldn't have to wait long. I heard the very soft steps of Edward as he walked through the door and into my room. I turned around and smiled; his eyes relaxed a bit, becoming slightly more golden. His pants were indeed becoming tighter under the stress of his arousal. And there was now a scent in the air, something that made me very lustful.

"Bella." He walked over and placed a cool hand on my cheek. He had a sweet, soft smile for me.

"Hey," I replied, standing on my knees in the bed so I could meet him eye to eye.

"While we were at the meadow earlier, you and I had started something. Charlie will be hanging around Billy's place for a while - won't be back until its very late. I hope that maybe, with no distractions, we can continue where we left off." As he said this, his hand slid down my cheek, my jaw, down my neck, and around my shoulder to my back, where he was now moving his thumb in small circles.

I reached to wrap my arms around his neck, and we met in a kiss. It became a deep one very quickly, and I quickly threaded my hands through his messy bronze hair. He pushed me back on the bed, and hovered over me as our tongues danced in each other's mouths.

I was starting to feel the warmth once again, but in that moment, it seemed concentrated in certain areas. I could feel it in the tips of my fingers, on my tongue, in my now increasingly wet folds, and in my heart. It occurred to me that my awareness was getting much better, and an idea came to me. I concentrated on the warmth in my hands, and imagined them getting hotter. Immediately, claws sprang out, and fur grew all over the skin. I placed my paws on Edward's back, and I purred. He paused in order to look at me, one eyebrow cocked.

"Whatever are you doing, love?" he asked.

I purred again. "Ooh, just... Experimenting." I flexed my fingers, and the tips of my claws went through his shirt, touching his marble skin. He shuddered with delight, and kissed me harder, grabbing ahold of my hair. My claws ripped his shirt open as I raked them down his sides.

He chuckled gruffly. "Dear, I'm glad that's not one of my favorite shirts. At this point, you'll shred my entire garment."

I pushed on his chest so he was now sitting up on my lap. "Then let me get this all the way off." I placed my right paw on his chest, just above the collar, and swiped at the shirt, causing it to flay open. I grabbed the back of the neck and ripped it completely off. "Now, you get those pants off, or I'll make short work of them."

He hopped off the bed and swiftly removed his jeans, leaving some rather cute navy blue Hanes boxer-briefs. I cocked an eyebrow, and he smiled sheeishly.

"Aw, don't look at me like that, love."

"Like wha?" I asked innocently. My tail sprouted as I sat up, all fluffy and gorgeous, and I twirled it around, reaching to graze his now bare chest.

"Like I'm... Uh..." I swear, if he had been human, he would have been blushing. As it was, he wasn't making a eye contact.

I swept by legs off the bed and strutted over to him, my feet turning into velvet covered paws. My tail wrapped around his torso, and I used it to pull him closer. I swept the back of my claws on his cheek, and he grinned, still not looking at me. I purred deeply and loudly, and while caressing him with one paw, I used the other to shimmy my shorts off. I let him gently ease my shirt up and over my head. When he saw my lacy pearl bra, he was stunned.

"What, never seen these before?" I asked, brushing my tail under my breasts.

He shook his head, and looked as if he wanted to grasp them. He reached out, but looked to me for permission. I nodded, and he gently - almost as if he thought he could break me - placed his hands on my chest, massaging me seductively. I unclasped my bra and let it fall to the floor. I led us both back to the bed, where he wrapped one arm around me, and used the other to tease me and pinch my nipples. I moaned quietly, wanting more. As if his telepathy started working on me, he took hold of my breast and brought his mouth to it, kissing and licking and gently nibbling it, sending shivers of joy all over my body. I licked my lips, my mouth just watering as I thought of getting a taste of him. I wrapped my arm around his neck and pulled myself up so I could lick his neck, and he moaned with pleasure.

Just one taste, I thought, as I stared longingly at his gorgeous skin. I licked again, and bit him. He gasped in surprise and pain, but it was quickly replaced with heavy, lustful breathing. I heard the tearing of fabric as he ripped both my and his underwear off. I could feel his rock hard dick rubbing ever so teasingly against my wet folds. And, amidst it all, there was a sting in my mouth as I ingested small amounts of venom. It wasn't incapacitating, nor too painful. It was actually quite addictive like this. I sucked at his neck just a bit more, and all of a sudden his teeth were in my neck as well, breaking skin and allowing him to partake in this ancient ritual. He groaned in ecstasy, as did I. And when I thought things couldn't get any more heated, the tip of his dick grazed my clit.

I let go for one second to gasp in surprise as a completely overwhelming sensation raced up and down my body. It was better than my fingers, for sure. He froze, maybe assessing my reaction, and then grasped me tightly, drinking more of me. I continued my own pleasure and we groaned loudly as he penetrated me in one thrust. He accelerated quickly, taking me with all his strength. The ecstasy made me shiver and whimper in pure joy and pleasure. I bit down harder, my paws tensed, and I wrapped my legs around him, so he was completely inside me. Harder and harder, faster and faster he went, until it seemed I couldn't take it anymore. I screamed his name, and that scream turned into a yowl as I burst into my seductive form. He grunted, and a second later yelled my name as his warm juices filled me up.

We both panted loudly as our climaxes came and went, and we relaxed, him lying atop my silken fur. He reached for my face, and I purred as he caressed me. Edward stayed with me as I nodded off into one of the most blissful nights of my life.


	23. Chapter 22

Charlie POV

He arrived back home, in his cruiser, thinking how strange it was, to be surrounded by mythology of all kinds in this small town. Not only was his daughter and late ex werecats, but his neighbors were vampires and werewolves. He wondered what other mysterious beings lurked in the shadows, but his thoughts were interrupted by a yowl.

The lust filled cry sent his memory into overdrive, hearing Renee all over again, as she climaxed the night Bella was conceived. It was a dark, tainted memory for Charlie, and even though he never regretted Bella, even for a second, he wished his daughter had never had to be born in that kind of world. But, as he happily knew, coming back to the present, she was more than ok in this world of magic and supernatural.

He would only understand so much, but he was proud to call Bella his own. And, he thought to himself, and to the boy who rested alongside her, he would be more than joyous to accept him and his family.

As Charlie climbed upstairs and opened the door to his own room, Edward peeked out of Bella's, and whispered to the cheif, "Thank you, sir. I will do all I can to be there for her. For however long she lives."

Charlie smiled, and as he gave Edward one last look, he thought, _Well, boy, that's going to be a long, long time._

Edward POV

I watched Bella drift off to sleep, her large feline form too big for her human sized bed. She was purring all the while, smiling and mumbling sweet nonsense. It was fascinating and intensely heart warming, to use the human phrase.

My Bella. My feline beauty. My mate. She was all mine. And, as her father had confirmed, she would be here for a while yet. To say that I was worried about her possible death was an understatement, but I decided to leave such morbid thoughts for another time. For now, I had experienced what, in my opinion, had been my own personal heaven, compared to the purgatory I'd been living for over a hundred years. I was in bliss, laying beside my personal goddess. But, as I knew, I had to go home sometime. My destroyed clothes needed replaced. So, at around three in the morning, as Bella's peaceful breathing was getting much deeper and her sleep just as much, I silently slipped out the window, wearing only my jeans, and carrying my tattered clothing. As soon as I was within reach, I groaned at the internal rush of thoughts.

Alice was first to be heard. _Ooh, Edward, I should bleach my eyes, even though it wouldn't help._

_Haha! Go Eddy boy, get some! _Of course Emmett would be as crude.

_It seems you took my advice, brother. I hope she wasn't too rough with you. _I could practically see Jasper's smile.

_I just don't want to know. Ok? _Rosalie, usually a bit more pigheaded and full of herself, was quiet.

Esme and Carlisle weren't thinking to me, so much as thinking of me, and being proud of who I had found. It was a little embarrassing, but I knew they only ment well. So, I confidently strode into the house, where the rest of my family were grouped in the living room. Emmett jumped up and gave me his best "bro" hug, and took my torn clothes in his hand.

"Haha, lookie here! My brother, the playa! Did Kitty Cat rip these off of you? What, couldn't get them off in time for her Highness?" he guffaed, waving my tattered underwear around like a flag.

I snatched them and my ripped shirt back from him. "Nope. She's impatient, and a little excited." I turned to Jasper. "And, to answer your question, no, she wasn't."

Rosalie got up and was about to storm out of the room when she stopped dead, and stared horrified at my neck. "Oh my holy fuck, what did she do to you?!" She traced the bite marks, and rubbed my venom between her fingers.

"When Charlie said she drank blood in passion, he wasn't kidding." I collapsed in a nearby chair, floating on cloud nine. "There was something primal about it, something irresistible."

They all stood around me, inspecting the wound with expressions ranging from shock to gross intrigue. Carlisle fingered my flayed skin, carefully inspecting its rock hard edges.

"Why isn't it healing? Edward, what happened, exactly?" he asked, taking a small flask from Alice, who had seen that he needed one, and sampling my venom.

"Ah, well, she bit me first. I thought it would be incredibly painful, like when James was bit. But, something made it feel... As if Jasper was forcing endless amounts of joy and ecstasy into me. And it made me crave her blood more than I've craved any human in my existence. Any blood singer that could have swayed me I can easily ignore now. And, it seemed that Bella wasn't in pain when she tasted my venom. She liked it."

"It wasn't painful?" Alice asked.

"Not at all." I gently rubbed my neck as it started to tingle and slowly heal. "It was quite pleasurable. I never once had an ounce of fear or pain in the entire ordeal." I smiled, remembering the slow ecstasy of the bite.

Emmett laughed. "He's high on Bella blood!"

Carlisle looked at my bear of a brother with a bit of realization. "Emmett, you might be on to something. Humans produce serotonin, which makes them feel good. Maybe Bella was infusing her blood with incredibly high levels of serotonin to make the pain of her bite nonexistent. Edward, you said you felt incredible pleasure?"

I nodded, and felt the wound close up completely.

He studied the area on my neck, astounded by the time it took to heal. Usually, vampire skin cracked or broke off like rock, and healed immediately. But, it had taken from the time she bit, about thirty minutes ago, to now to heal.

"Perhaps," I said, flashing up the stairs and into my room, coming back down with brand new clothes on, "it was Bella who was supposed to heal me afterward. After all, we've learned that werecats mate with humans, and humans don't heal quickly like we do."

"An interesting observation, son -"

That was all I heard before a hammer of fear and anguish hit me, sending me, and a second later Jasper, gasping for breath that we did not need. Jasper clutched Alice tightly as I braced myself against the railing. Esme panicked as the two of us reacted violently to an invisible force, torn between who she should go to. Rosalie and Emmett rushed to Jasper, and Carlisle came to my side.

It was chaos around me, but for a minute it didn't matter. I was torn apart as something filled with worry and fright clawed at my mind. I grasped my head and whimpered in pain, gritting my teeth. It was as if my brain was being split in two, and when the pain became almost unbearable, I opened my eyes, and my sight was split. One part of me could still see my family huddling around Jasper and me, the other part could now see Bella's room. I didn't see Bella, but my sight there kept moving, spining around, making me dizzy. I sank to the floor, so overcome with vertigo that only resting my head on the floor seemed to work. But the spinning in Bella's room only stopped when my sight came across bits of torn fabric strewn about her unkempt bed and floor. I was flooded with so much adrenaline I could taste it.

It hit me, just then. I was viewing the world through Bella's eyes, feeling what she was feeling. She was in full panic mode, and when I tried to peer into her mind, thinking on a hunch, I was met with the thoughts of what could be described as a madwoman.

_Holy shit, where, what, what did I do?! Where is he, where is he, why are his clothes torn, why is there blood, that's my blood, why is it my blood, oh shit I'm bleeding, Edward, WHERE ARE YOU?!_

"Bella, I'm alright, I'm fine!" I tried telling her, struggling to remain calm. My family all looked at me, confused.

"Bella ain't here, bro," Emmett pointed out the obvious. Rosalie scoffed and gave him a proper smack upside the head.

"Edward, what is going on? Why are you so frightened?" Jasper asked, still clutching Alice as if she were going to disappear into thin air if he didn't.

"It's... Bella... She's the one who's frightened. I... I can see through her eyes, I feel her emotions. We're sharing minds, but I don't think -" I groaned as another attack of fear split my head. "I don't think she knows!" I curled up into a ball, and let out the loudest roar I could muster.

Everyone reeled back at the sound, too shocked to do anything else. Bella, however, looked up a second later as my roar impressively hit Forks, but only loud enough for her to detect it. There was instantaneous recognition, and the next thing I knew Bella had crashed through the window, already in her werecat form. She bounded through the forest at breakneck speed, listening for another cry - I obliged her. She tore through every bush and every bit of undergrowth, even knocking down saplings in the process.

She arrived outside the house, and I knew that if she tried to get to me, Esme would have a large cleanup job to do. I struggled outside, and as soon as I hit the porch, she rushed over and held me tight.

"Edward, my god, I thought you - that I - " she cried, her tears splashing into my hair and over my skin.

I was speechless, still reeling from the double perspective. I was staring up at her, she at me, and it was like looking at two see through pictures overlapping in the middle. "Bella- I'm alright, but - oh, geez, can you calm down? Your fear... it's too much!"

She looked from me to Jasper, and when she realized she was affecting both of us, she let go. After a few seconds I could see from just my own eyes, and I saw Bella's shaking coming to a stop, slowly but surely. I saw Jasper visibly relax, only holding Alice's hand. Bella took a deep breath, and held it. We all heard her racing hear slow, and before long, Bella was walking into the trees, transforming back to her human self.

I ran upstairs and looked through my closet for a shirt and pants. I found a comfortable stretch cotton shirt and worn jeans, perfect for her muscular frame, since she now was just as built as I. It was a little intimidating, to be honest, but it was never something I envied. Even though it was generally the role of the man to protect, Bella was my equal, protecting as much as I did.

I handed Bella the bundle as she hid behind a tree. She quickly got dressed and came back around so she could hold my hands and kiss my cheeks.

"When I saw bits of your clothes, and tasted venom, I thought... I thought that I'd -"

"Love, don't." I took one of her hands and held it up to my neck, where the wound had been. "You merely got impatient with me when my clothes wouldn't come off immediately, that's all. Do you not remember?"

She frowned, her brow furrowing as she tried to recollect. Her eyed grew wide, and her cheeks blushed red. "Oh. Oh, ok, that - that's what happened... I'm sorry I bit you, Edward."

I brushed my hand across her jaw and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Love, don't apologize. It was the most wonderful experience I've ever had, truly. You could never hurt me. And I will never hurt you. I promise. Alright?"

She nodded, burying her face in my bare chest. I imitated purring as best as I could, thinking it would comfort her. Instead, she giggled, and I pulled her face up.

"What is so funny, my love?" I asked, miffed.

"You purr like a kitten. Here, this is how you purr." She layed her head back against my chest and purred. Her sound was deep, and resonated throughout me. I mimicked her, and soon our bodies were thrumming. Somewhere behind me, Emmett was laughing.

"We got two Kitty Cats, ma! Can we keep 'em?" I turned and saw him bouncing up and down, looking at Esme; everyone was either on the porch or just inside the door, except Rosalie. She was somewhere in the living room, mashing her teeth.

Esme laughed, wrapping her arms around Carlisle. "Yes, Emmett, we can keep them! You gotta feed them, though!"

They all had a good laugh over that. Even Bella chuckled. But because the sun was rising, I escorted her home shortly after. She needed the day to rest, she told me, and that Monday would be a new day for all of us.


	24. Author's Letter 2

THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER!

Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, school and life have been getting in the way. I do look at all of your reviews, and I noticed the discrepancy in chapter 12, so I fixed it! Yay! Comp 2 class is great for getting these letters out to you. Anyway, I'm really glad to see the interest in the story as it develops, but I'm also hitting a few rough patches. Now that Bella does not have to worry about James, there's no reason to go back to Phoenix, especially since Renee and Phil aren't in the picture. Therefore, there is not much for the gang to do. I do have a chapter I'm currently working on to post as soon as possible, but I NEED SUGGESTIONS! If you want to see Bella do something, hear the perspective of someone else, or just want to throw in an idea, go for it! I'm going to make this story interactive from now on. Anything goes as far as suggestions, but I will make sure what I write is at least going in one direction, not going all willy-nilly. I will also make sure the user whose suggestion is used is mentioned in the beginning of each chapter.

Special thanks go to **cbmorefie**, **samantha1987**, and **sujari6** for reviewing the most, and for guiding me through my writing. I would love more than that, but you three are fantastic people!

Go on, now, read the next chapter…


	25. Chapter 23

Bella POV

I hadn't wanted to figure out why Edward could, for a moment, see through my eyes and hear my thoughts; the night had been too exciting to get bogged down by those kind of questions. Instead, I would discuss it when I saw Edward at lunch. But until then, I was going to amuse myself with today's public displays of affection. I drove up in my rusty truck, which was making an annoying knocking sound - probably a bent push rod - and parked next to Edward's Volvo, jumping out and over it, landing next to him.

He laughed and steadied me. "What's with the enthusiasm, love? You're very bouncy today."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on the nose. "I'm feeling great, babe! I woke up fresh and happy, I'm here with you, and I'm the most badass girl in this town, hell, this entire state!" I whispered seductively in his ear, "and last night was only the beginning."

He narrowed his eyes, still smiling. "You are one feisty little thing, Bella. And I look forward to it." He kissed me back, a gentile press on my lips.

I chuckled and pulled apart, walking hand in hand with him as we went to our English class. Mr. Varner looked poignantly at us before starting, making several students look back at us as well. I proudly held Edward's hand atop the desk, and whenever someone looked back, I kissed him on the cheek.

I was letting EVERYONE know just who exactly Edward belonged to. It wasn't normal of me to claim something so fiercely or outright, but today something made me want to just shout out the fact that Edward was never, ever, going to be available to any human. Edward once or twice asked why I was doing this, but it didn't feel like something I could explain to him rationally, so I simply shrugged.

While walking to lunch, we were whispering sweet nothings to each other when I spotted Jessica, Lauren, and Mike coming for us like three fighter jets. Edward was getting tense, but I squeezed his arm, and said quietly, "Let me handle this."

"Bella," Mike began, but was quickly silenced as I forced Edward and I to continue walking. The three of them had to turn around and talk to us. "Bella," he continued, "Are you sitting with us today?"

"Depends," I immediately answered back. "Is Edward invited too?" When there was a mumbled reply, something I was not ment to hear, ("no, not that bastard") I continued with, "I figured. So, the answer is no, Mike, I won't be sitting with you today."

"We just want to hang out with our good friend," Jessica whined, making it sound like I was abandoning her.

"We both know that's a bold-faced lie, Jess." We were now in the entrance of the cafeteria, the Cullens already sitting at our usual table, the rest of the place full of eager ears - our conversation was either anticipated, or my show of Edward was intriguing them. So, I said a bit louder, finally stopping to allow the humans to catch their breath, "Ever since I got here, and I've been hanging out with Edward and his family, you've done nothing but try to get in good with me, and by doing so, closer to the boys."

Jessica gasped in mock hurt. "I would never! Bella, I've only ever wanted to be your friend! All of us have!"

I looked over at Lauren, who was sitting back, glaring at me; she already knew this game was over, and she wasn't on the winning team.

"Yeah, right," I drawled. I brushed my fingers over Edward's cheek tenderly - causing a ripple effect of gasps throughout the luncheon - before getting in Jessica's face. She flinched but otherwise didn't move. A cold shiver ran down my back, but I swallowed the reaction - it wouldn't do any good to tear the little bitch to shreds here in view of the public. "I lived in Phoenix for nearly all my life, and I know when I smell a liar, a bully, and a gold digger. You, and any other girl who thinks they can take me out of the picture, can quit while you're ahead. I don't plan on leaving my Edward out for you to claw at him." I nearly growled the last part.

Jessica sneered, all of her acting having run out. "You know, at least now its clear how much of a slut you are. You wouldn't be so possessive if you hadn't fucked him."

The whole place went silent. Back at our table, my new siblings growled; I could hear Emmett getting up, probably wanting to punch Jessica's face off. I held up a hand, and he stopped. I had the perfect comeback. I smiled narrowing my eyes. A flit of fear crossed her eyes.

"You know, Jess, he's my one and only - you'd know that if you were a true friend. And, if that wasn't enough, you'd know I prefer _quality _over _quantity, _unlike you do."

There was an uncomfortable pause, with Jessica's little face dropping into shock. Then the entire cafeteria erupted in laughter, jeering and exclaiming how burned she was or congratulating me. Jessica's lips were trembling, her eyes wide with fury. Mike looked disgusted, and Lauren was beside herself, staring at me as if I had some nerve. At the Cullen table, Emmett was joining the crowd, proudly shouting my name. Jasper and Alice were smiling, hand in hand. Rosalie was actually smiling a little, giving me a flip of the hair and a thumbs up.

Just as an AD walked in, Jessica swiped at me, and scored four marks across my cheek and left eye. I barked out a yell, and whipped my head back in her direction, snarling. I was getting colder. I growled, and pushed her through the other two and pinned her up against the wall. Now the students were shouting, " Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Jessica kneed me and I doubled over, letting her go. She jumped around me and headed for Edward, but I turned and grabbed her arm, making her spin around and sock me in the jaw. There was a painful click as my jaw disconnected. I cried out and gripped it, lashing out with a backhand, which connected with something soft. She yelled, "Aargh, my boob, you bitch!" I would have smiled if I could.

I spun backward, keeping low, and tripped her with my leg. She landed on the floor with a thud. I stood back up, only to have her foot connect to my crotch. It didn't hurt too bad, like it would a guy, but I gripped myself with my free hand, wincing. I was looking down at her when something grabbed the collar of my shirt and yanked me back. When huge, cool arms wrapped around me, I stopped struggling. Emmett gently pulled hair out of my face, and I could see Jessica getting dragged away by the humans Ben and Mike, hot on the heels of the AD. There was a crowd of people trying to converge on me, but Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, Angela, and Eric were creating a circle around me, Edward, and Emmett.

"We need to get you to Carlisle," Edward said softly, reaching gently for my dislocated jaw.

I pushed his hand away, slowly shaking my head. I gripped the top of my skull with one hand, the dangling section of my mouth with the other. With a quick push, I got the joint back together, gritting my teeth together and groaning. I wanted to tell Edward I was ok, but talking would have meant moving my mouth, so I just stepped out of Emmett's embrace and hugged Edward. He gently wrapped me up, kissing my cheeks and nose softly, which earned an "aww" from the crowd.

"No matter how many times I've been stunned by your beauty, or prowess, you still manage to surprise me, love." he said out loud, earning yet another cute moment.

I smiled. Now I _had_ to speak. With pain and some difficulty, I replied, "I... love... you too... Edward. Silly..." I groaned, the effort sending pangs of hot needles up my head.

He chuckled and held me closer.

After I had talked to the principal , Edward was escorting me to his Volvo when I saw Charlie roughly shoving Jessica into his cruiser. I walked over, waving him down before he could take off.

"Bella, honey, glad you're ok," he gruffed, slamming the door on the human, who was pouting.

My jaw was feeling much better then, so I was able to voice my thoughts. "Hey, Dad. Listen, maybe Jessica shouldn't get punished too badly." As much as seeing her behind bars was an amusing idea, it wasn't what I had in mind.

Charlie looked at me, confused. "You don't want her charged with assault?"

I shook my head. "Nah." I put my hand on his shoulder, smiling. "I've done enough to her reputation." I held my hand out, and he gave me the keys to the hand cuffs. I opened the door of the cruiser, and motioned for a confused Jessica to get out. When she was standing, and the students were crowded around, I undid her handcuffs and gave them back to Charlie.

"Just think of this as my one and only warning." I looked around at everyone else, making sure this was a public one, too. "Don't ever lay eyes on Edward or any of the Cullens with intent to be with them. Friends, we'll accept. Nothing else."

Stunned, Jessica walked away. Angela and Ben came up to me, with looks of awe and respect.

"You consider us friends, right?" Angela asked timidly.

"Of course!" I hugged her gently. "You two have been nothing but awesome since I came here." Edward called to me, and I waved goodbye before hopping into his Volvo. He had a very solemn expression, and when I touched his face, he tensed.

I huffed. "Ok, what did I do?"

"You nearly lost control."

"I did not!"

"Really?" He looked at me skeptically. "Jasper felt your anger peaking, Bella. You nearly transformed."

I snorted. "I had it under control, Edward. Sure, she was getting on my nerves, but I know better than to show myself here."

"Jasper needs to start training you. Tonight. In fact, I'm going to ask that he come right after school and begin immediately."

Just like that, my phone buzzed. It was Alice. "She's saying that he wants to meet at the baseball field."

He nodded, turning onto the dirt road that would lead to the field ahead. The uneven ground would have ruined a normal car, but since they had Rosalie the beauty-turned-vampire-turned-mechanic, all of the vehicles were well equipped for off road driving. The ride was bumpy and jarring, but it wasn't too bad. Edward parked within the shade just before the tree line broke. When I got out, Edward was already there, holding me by the shoulders.

"I have to warn you, Bella, that... Well, I've seen the memories of his time in the south, fighting newborns. He won't go easy on you, he won't teach you little by little. This is not just training, this is life or death to him. You won't only be his student, but his opponent." He paused, holding my cheek for a moment, then tucking hair out of my face, and carressing my jaw. "Its embarrassing, but I... I fear you might get hurt beyond repair."

"Aw," I ruffled his bronze hair. "It's really awesome you still want to protect me. Tell you what, if he messes up my pretty little face, you can bitch slap him for me. Kay?"

He smiled, and ran to the middle of the field, letting me undress and transform. I bounded out a minute later, and we jumped and ran around, working up the excitement. At one point I grasped him and rolled onto my back, crushing him to my chest. He laughed and genuinely struggled to get away from me. I wouldn't let him go. Soon, though, our other siblings were headed into the field, Emmett suspiciously carrying his phone up.

"Emmet, what are you doing?" I asked, setting Edward on his feet.

"Carlisle wanted to see the fight, and since he's still at the hospital, I'm recording for him. Besides, you need to be able to re-watch yourself afterward. Jasper's rule." He thumbed his warrior brother, who was wearing loose, dirty jeans and a pullover jacket. His feet were bare.

Rosalie and Alice picked a rock to sit on, and Alice pulled out her own phone and began to record. Emmett got in close on the other side. Edward gave me a quick kiss before bounding up into a tree. I faced Jasper, who strode up to me until we were ten feet apart.

"I will teach you what I know just as my drill sergeant taught us Confederates back in the Civil war." My eyes widened at that tidbit of info, but he kept going. "This fight will test several aspects of your abilities. It will end when one of us has the other sufficiently pinned without an escape."

I snorted. What could he possibly-

I was suddenly bombarded with a clod of dirt strait in the eyes. I rubbed it out, only to have Jasper jump on top of me and ride me like a bucking bronco as I jumped and twisted, trying to force him off. Emmett was rooting me on, as well as Edward. The girls were Jasper's cheerleaders.

Thinking that I needed to get him off quickly, I jumped, twisted upside down mid-air, and landed on the ground. For a minute, there was no resistance, but it changed when I was launched into the air. I twisted and landed on my two rear legs, balancing with my tail and arms. Jasper charged me, so I braced for impact and held my arms out. He jumped and kicked me in the jaw, causing me to loose balance and fall on my back again. He grasped my jaw, but before he could hold me, I punched him with my right arm, sending him sprawling. I hopped up and, in a single bound, pounced on his chest, curling my fingers only enough to where I had a grip on him, but not have my claws out.

He grunted, squirming, but I growled, and he stopped. It seemed the fight was over, but then he spat at me, sending a glob of venom into my nose. It burned, and I yowled as I tried to rub and snort it out. I felt him jump on my back, and he held my neck in a bear hug. His teeth touched my skin, and the battle was lost. If I tried to move him, I'd be bitten.

"Dead," He said with finality and conviction. He dropped to the ground, and started to say something, but I was quickly distracted with the continuous burning in my nose. I rubbed my nose on the ground, pawed at it, and snorted like crazy, the venom stinging and burning like a bitch. The pain subsided, and my nose was dripping a metallic green, the result of my body producing mucus to rid myself of the foreign substance. I sneezed, and it all came out as a massive blob on the grass.

The pain gone, I turned my head to see Jasper's smug look as he appraised me. He was again going to say something, but I didn't let him - with a quick back kick, I sent him into the trees, a good fifty yards away. He flew through two trees and landed in a third just beyond.

Emmett held up his arms. "Touchdown!" Rosalie behind me giggled, saying something like "Silly Monkey Boy", while Alice ran by me and towards her mate, studiously picking pine needles out of his hair and clothes. Edward shook his head but didn't say anything.

Coming back, Jasper had a stern, annoyed look on his face. "That was a cheap shot, Bella. The fight was over."

I shrugged my big furry shoulders, grinning. "In a real fight, its over when you kill or are killed. Renee proved that." I laughed maniacally.

"Well, this isn't a real fight, is it? I would have bitten you otherwise." His serious tone of voice irritated me. I quietly growled. "You were sloppy, uncoordinated, and careless. I'm starting to think Renee wasn't that big of a deal if I could beat you so easily."

This time I hissed, and I wanted to tear his head off. That's when I realized he was taunting me. I clenched my jaw, and he smiled. Fucker was probably tasting my emotions. This was a test! Well, I wasn't gonna give him the satisfaction. I sat down, and began to groom myself. The calming rhythm of my rough tongue against my fur helped sooth my hot blood. I saw Jasper frown and walk toward me.

"Are you listening, Bella? You did poorly just now, and I don't think you're taking this seriously. You probably killed Renee on luck alone. If what you used was instinct, its not very reliable."

I rolled my eyes and looked at him with a straight face. "Instinct only teaches you so much. Fighting skills aren't instinctual, only the sense that you need to either fight or flee is. Fighting must be taught by parents, in my case. My father's human, so he obviously never could teach me. That leaves...oh! My selfish, egotistical, maniac bitch of a mother!" I stood up on all fours and stalked forward, so that I was nose to forehead with him. "You think you can push me over the edge? When I know you are trying? I'm not an idiot, Jasper. Play with me all you want, I've already had a psychopath in my head." With a flick of my tail I stalked off and sat beside Edward. My mate looked at me with a mix of annoyance and amusement. He reluctantly scratched my head, and I purred.

Jasper was visibly getting pissed, but only barely, swallowing back what would have been some southern sailor mouth. Instead, he tried keeping his cool. "Bella, that's what I'm here for. To teach you. And you would have been dead when I had you in that hold. There was no need to kick me."

"Oh, but there was! It made me feel better."

"That! There's the other thing I'm supposed to help you manage: your emotions. Without control, you could transform at any moment and rip someone's head off. You nearly did with the human Jessica. You could have been exposed."

"I actually had more control than you think, Jasper. I knew better than to let the chill get to me."

"The chill? What the hell is that?" Emmett asked.

"It's what I feel when I transform into this," I gestured to myself. "I get really cold, freezing even, but it's not painful. Anyway, I have the ability to stay cool in tense situations. I know I've violently shifted more than once in your presence, but that's really the only times I've lost control since I transformed the first time. So, just let me manage my mood, and I'll let you teach me to fight. Deal?"

Jasper looked at me skeptically, but nodded. "Alright. Well, then let's get to it. I'm now going to test your endurance. Emmett and I will ride on your back, and I will have Edward stay here."He whispered in Alice's ear, she blanked out for a second, and then took off. "Bella, try to track her down. She will use her gift to try and stay ahead of you. Use your speed to your advantage, but don't strain yourself." He gestured to Emmett, and they both leapt onto my back.

Edward kissed my cheek, and sat down on the same boulder as Rosalie. They waved as I reared dramatically, yowling as a horse would neigh, and bounded off. I scented Alice immediately, and tracked her better than any dog could. Her scent path zigzaged around trees so rapidly I had to use my tail as balance during hairpin turns. I eventually had to follow a vertical path up a very large sequoia tree, and Jasper and Emmett clung to my back for dear life while I wrapped my arms around the tree and scurried up. When I reached the canopy I quickly oriented myself, and when I located her path again, I took a daring leap three times my body length into the next tree. I tree-hopped like this for a good mile or so before the path returned to the ground, which was quickly becoming more rock than earth.

I was following the scent so closely that I barely heard Emmett yell at me to stop. I skidded to a halt just inches from a cliff edge. A few rocks skittered and rolled off, plopping into the sea below. I sniffed the edge, and sure enough, Alice's scent was still fresh. It seemed that she had dove into the water to loose the trail. What she didn't know is that even though I was a cat at heart, I loved the water. Without warning, I dove for the ocean, and splashed onto the surface.

"Holy shit, Bella, what the hell?!" Emmett was carrying the camera above his head, so it wouldn't get wet. Jasper let out a disgruntled groan as he kept holding on to my fur.

"Alice dove into the water," I said simply, sniffing the air, trying to scent her past the salt water.

"Then her scent is gone! I thought cats hate water!" Emmett yelled at me, splashing my face with a free hand.

"If you didn't know, blockhead, there are species of cat who love water. Like tigers. And I for one love water - I swam quite a bit when we went to the beach, didn't I?" I sniffed some more, certain I'd have the scent again.

"Ok, but if Alice dove into the water, that's it. She's gone. You won't find her scent!"

At that exact moment, I proved him wrong. I paddled north, along the coast, tracking the extremely faint smell of sweet little Alice. Emmett managed to pull himself back on, but he was much farther in the water than before. When I came ashore again, we were on an island, which Jasper informed me was named Victoria. Alice's scent got much stronger; she had been here not long ago. I took off, keeping my nose close to her trail. As it kept getting stronger, I slowed down. If she heard me, she'd take off. She was like a deer, and I had to keep myself invisible.

"Um, is it just me, or did our scents just vanish?" Emmett whispered faintly.

"They did. I also think her footsteps vanished too." Jasper said something else, but no sound came out - I had been getting annoyed that they were talking during my hunt. They tried to talk, but still nothing happened. I knew I was getting closer to my target, because I could smell and taste her clear as day. I also could hear the faint sniffs she made while trying to detect where I was. I pinpointed her to being up in a gigantic redwood, so I scaled another one that was down wind from where she lay. When I spotted her, hiding in the branches, I thought up of a perfect way to grab her. I firmly gripped the topmost branch of our tree with my claws, and began to swing back and forth, making the arc larger as I used more power. When I could hear the branch groaning with the effort, I waited until the last possible second, and launched off with my back legs.

I sailed through the air, and had Alice in my paws before she had time to turn her head. She screamed, wriggling and writhing, but powerless against my strength. I was hurdling toward the ground at a pretty decent speed, so I curled Alice close to my chest with one arm and used the other to brace for impact. Dirt sprayed everywhere, and I had to twist my body around so the guys wouldn't fall off. As it was, Emmett lost his grip, ripping a patch of dense fur out in the first place, and tumbled off. Jasper was swung around, but otherwise held on. Poor Alice, in a state of panic, was clinging to my chest and belly. I had to peel her off like a piece of Velcro. Jasper dismounted and gently held his mate, soothing her with his voice, and probably his power, too.

"Whoa, Kitty Cat, you got her! Even with Alice's power, you still got her! You even made us mute! We HAVE to show the others!" Emmett was reviewing the tape, and was pleased with what he saw. Alice had regained composure, and was walking over to me normally. However, her face showed a mix of confusion and annoyance.

"There's something else that everyone will want to know, but it can wait until we're all together. Come on, lets go get Edward and Rose." Alice took off again, with Jasper right behind her. Emmett climbed back on my back, and I launched myself toward the coast. When I swam through the bay, Emmett ridiculously held his arm out like Rose from _Titanic, _singing the song as loud as he could. I shook my head; my brawny brother was just too much sometimes. I slowed my swimming down, and Emmett stopped to pet me on the head.

"Hey, Kitty Cat, why are you hitting the breaks?"

"Emmett? You're super cool."

He laughed boisterously. "Well, I always knew that! But, why the serious voice? Something bothering you?"

"Naw, Emmy," I replied slyly. "I just wanted to talk. I don't really get a chance to talk to you much. I've never had a big brother, and even though I never would have wished my life on someone else, I had always wanted one."

He hugged my massive neck, and I could imagine him smiling from ear to ear. "Behind that badass exterior beats a soft heart, it seems. Don't look at me like that, there was some of that lovey dovey language back when I was still human. But yeah, girl, I get 'cha. So, what is it you wanted to say?"

"My thoughts on Jasper... It seems I never got his story. Could you tell me?"

"Nope, that's his story, can't spoil that. But, I can say that he's a really awesome guy, once you get past his tough exterior."

I shrugged my shoulders, making a mental note to talk to Jasper himself later. "Alright. So, you and Rose... You're tons of fun, and she's no fun at all. What's up with that?"

"Again, there's her story that she needs to tell. But, I can tell you what happened to me."

"Go for it."

"To put it simply, I was raised in the country, and I had many gentlemanly manners, worked hard to support my family, everything. I was hunting, and a bear got me really good. Imagine if Renee had swiped me, but this time I was human instead."

I shuddered at the mental image.

"Yep. Well, I was blacking out when I heard something else growling. I thought it was another bear, coming to steal me from the first one. Then I was flying. When I had a chance to open my eyes again, I saw the most beautiful angel ever. She was racing so fast, I knew I was dead. That's when she brought me to God." He chuckled. "I had wondered why I was in heaven - there were some things in life I was not proud of. But that's when the venom started to burn. I writhed for three days, and when I woke up, I fell head over heels with Rose. It took me a while, but eventually, I won her over. It was the best decision I've ever made."

"To each their own, I guess. So, what was Edward like before I showed up?"

We had arrived at the same cliff I had dived over, so I had to use my thick claws and huge arm and leg muscles to shimmy back up. Emmett held on tight until we got up on the higher ground, then hopped off my back and continued to walk along side me. His massive body was nothing in comparison to my gargantuan chest, yet he played around with me as if I were nothing more than an oversized puppy.

"Well, Bells, your Edward was a very moody, dark guy. He always moped around the house, or whenever we hunted. He can hear all of our thoughts at once, so he was overwhelmed with the love we have for our mates. I guess he finally got numb to it, because we didn't see much of that attitude anymore - he just brooded and kept to himself. He loved us and respected our relationships, but I guess since he was alone, he always thought he would stay that way. But man oh man, did you change that! The look on his face when he came home after your first session in bed - priceless!" He guffawed so loud birds nearby took off.

I blushed, but my fur hid my skin. "Are you going to tease me about my sex life for all eternity?"

"I'm gonna try, Bella. And I'll succeed. No one escapes my jokes!"

My ears flattened in minor annoyance, but I wasn't too mad. After all, Emmett would be Emmett. We caught up to the rest of the group, and Jasper was ready for the next test.

"Now I will test your wit against a series of tests. These will let me know how inventive you are in any given situation. First, though, a bit of strength is required." He looked poiniently at Emmett, who passed the camera off to Rose and ran up beside his brother. "We will need a few fallen logs. Say, ten. Between you and Emmett, race to get the most. They cannot be live trees still standing, and they must be two feet thick. Go!"

I took off, with Emmett riding my tail. I sniffed out decaying wood, and quickly found a pair of big fallen logs. Emmett had ran another way, so I wasn't going to know how many he had, but I knew he could only carry one at a time. With my massive strength and big size, I was able to carry both logs under my arms, and run on two legs. I flung them into the clearing and bolted off again. I had to go a bit farther, but I found a whole mass of fallen logs. They were barely rotten, and looked as if they had been forced down. No matter, I took another two and headed back to the clearing. Emmett was coming back with another, and he had three already. We tossed our logs at the same time, and ran off to get more. I came back to the fallen log area and took two more. Emmett arrived just as I did, and we squared off. We each tossed a log into the pile, so we were tied. Emmett grasped his last log with both hands and raised it up, challenging me. I swung my last log like a baseball bat. We circled each other, flinching here and there as the other moved. Emmett took a swing, and since I knew the log would be compromised by the speed it was going, I head butted it.

The log shattered into a ton of splinters and dust and even pulp, exploding on me and Emmett. The stump he had left was only as big as his head. He tossed it aside in defeat. I happily placed my log on the pile. I meowed in triumph. Edward and the girls cheered me on.

"Good job, Bella. But this isn't over yet. Emmett, Edward, come over here." The three brothers huddled, and ran into the forest. I shrugged and sauntered over to the girls, who pet me and admired my soft coat. When Alice wished to have a fur coat out of something as soft as me, I gently swatted her head; I didn't tolerate animal-killers, and I especially loathed fur clothing.

The boys came back and started to dig holes. They set the logs upright in the holes and made sure that they stood still. Emmett quickly grabbed a big boulder and set it next to the logs and me. Jasper came to my side to explain as Edward and Emmett gracefully hopped up on top of the logs.

"Now you will try to knock us off the logs. But you must also be balancing. Come on." He climbed up, and the brothers arranged themselves in a triangle.

Hesitantly, with my bulk, I climbed the boulder, and tried to get atop the first log. It groaned under my weight, and I removed my paw. How was I supposed to do this? I paced around the logs, thinking how I was going to accomplish the task without falling off or breaking the logs.

"Looks like your girl is too FAT to get up here, huh Ed?" Emmett joked.

I growled. I padded over to Alice, and asked if she had a couple strips of fabric. She pulled out two silk pieces as long as my arms, and followed me into the forest cover. I thought of my time with Edward, and transformed into Lustful Bella. Alice helped fashion a quick cover for my crotch and breasts, and I strode out, confident that my less bulky cat form was light enough for the task ahead. I nimbly leapt up onto the logs, and stood up on my hind legs.

"Now," I said, as I eyed the men in front of me, "Who's first?"


	26. Chapter 24

Rosalie POV

As she witnessed Bella strut out of the forest, Rosalie's dead heart gave a jump. Bella was so beautiful, even in just ribbons of silk, that she could, if it were possible, make a vampire cry. As it was, dry, soft sobs escaped Rosalie, for she knew that moment that her own beauty was sorely outmatched by Edward's mate.

For as long as she'd been a vampire, and most of her human life, she had been fair, stunning, and enchanting in every way - a goddess among mortals. She held her head high, and her pride was fed by the hundreds of people who basked in her glory. Edward's refusal when she first turned was a blow, but she recovered. Now, his mate, the powerful werecat, was cutting her down to size. Bella was bigger, stronger, fiercer, wild, and perfect in every way physical. Rosalie felt... small.

Bella was tackling the task set forth by Jasper as easily as Emmett could take down a grizzly. Bella was graceful, even as she hopped from one log to another, and successfully knocked Emmett off his perch. She was now fighting the wits and balancing skills of Edward and Jasper, who were each very skilled in intelligent combat.

Emmett sat down next to Rosalie, and when he saw she was upset, he wrapped his great arms around her. "What's wrong, Rose?" he asked as softly as he could. Alice, beside them, got up and proceeded to take the main camera and continue to film the fight.

"Emmett... Bella is so beautiful... More than me."

"Aw, babe, don't do that to yourself. Bella is pretty, but guess what? I love you, and I think you are the most beautiful creature ever. Bella's not my type, anyhow."

Rosalie shook her head. "It still doesn't take away the fact that Bella is far more beautiful than me. Plus, she's so powerful, she could do anything she wanted to us. Even-" She stopped. What a horrible thing to think, but she still thought it.

"Even what, babe? Come on, what would Bella do?"

In such a low whisper Emmett had to strain to hear, Rose said, "She could take Edward away from us."

Emmett looked at her, dumbfounded. "What? She'd never take him away! That's a silly idea, sweetie. Bella enjoys all of us, not just Edward. She's pretty, but she's a person, just like everyone else. She has feelings and weaknesses. Maybe not a whole lot of weaknesses, but she does have them. For most of her life she was abused by that bitch of a mother Renee, and now she has a chance to be herself. Look," he pointed as Edward fell to the ground with an audible _ooff_. "Edward doesn't get too much special treatment besides being loved. She probably wants to be your friend, and doesn't know how. Take the time to show her your true side. She did ask about your past, but I left it up to you." He held his hands up. "I know you'd never let me forget it if I told her behind your back."

Rosalie had a lot to consider. As the day went on, and Bella passed the various tests set up by Jasper, Rosalie fell deeper and deeper into the confines of her mind and heart. When the sun was setting behind the mountains, she got up and ran as fast as she could to Seattle. Once there, she scented for a nearby shelter. Once there, dogs from in the back were growling and barking like mad. A pretty little brunette with broken and taped glasses greeted her warmly.

"Hello, miss, what can I do for you?"

Rosalie smiled warmly, knowing someone who wanted an animal would have to be a VERY loving, caring person. And showing any of her vampiric nature, the ruthless killer that she was, would get her nowhere in her quest. "I, uh, actually came to see about getting a kitten. My name is Rosalie Hale, I live just outside of Forks." The truth, as much as she could give, was better than a lie. Plus, this shelter wasn't one to track you down and inspect the home. "I've always wanted one of my own, but our childhood cat, Max, didn't like me very much." An easy lie.

The brunette chuckled. "Alright, come on, I'll show you to the cat building. They get special treatment because they're much smarter creatures than dogs. I'm a cat person, if you hadn't noticed." she laughed, and Rosalie joined her.

The separate building in question was just a short walk away, and had its own clinic, complete with two doctors and two nurses, one acting as a desk girl. The brunette showed her into the main room, where cages were lined on three walls, filled with cats of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. Kittens were grouped together and always mewed cutely. Adolescents sometimes meowed, but also were busy with other activities. The older cats rarely turned their heads to look at Rosalie, either out of boredom or of experience.

"Go ahead and look around. You can pick some kittens from the cages and play with them in the play room, if you can't decide from here. You're in luck, too, because today we are offering free vaccinations and a package of goodies for your kitten when you adopt. We offer a starter set for your kitten, so you're fully prepared to bring them home."

"That's great! Thanks!" Rosalie slowly looked around, observing each cat's behavior and personality. This kitten needed to be perfect. She picked out five kittens, and they brought them into the play room. Rosalie was instructed to sit calmly on the floor and let the kittens play with her. The brunette walked out, giving Rosalie time to study the elegant felines.

There was a ball of black fluff with one white spot over a single eye, and it had a flat face, big eyes, and an adorable confused look on its face. Another kitten was what Rosalie knew to be a calico - black, orange, and white markings all over the body. This one was more black that white, and spent its time grooming its luxurious short fur. A cream and chocolate colored kitten with medium length fur and abnormally short legs bounded around with limitless energy, stopping once or twice to survey the room before resuming. There was a magnificent grey blue kitten, slightly older than the rest, who skilfuly climbed the various scratching posts and cat condos. And there was a precious, tiny kitten, who was solid, bright white, except for a black sock on its right foreleg. It had medium length fur, and a sort of wild appearance to it, despite its diminutive size.

The black sock kitten, when interacting with the others, wasn't shy or anxious in the least bit. It proudly and confidently wrestled with the others, including the older grey kitten, who had superior skills. This kitten and the short legged one played together most of the time. Short Leg had agility, but Black Sock had its courage and tenacity. They were a perfect blend together.

Rosalie knew she only needed one, but the thought of separating these two was unbearable. She called the brunette and told her what she thought.

"They do seem happy together, don't they? Well, its good that they will have a companion when no one else is around. I fully agree that these two should find their forever home with you. Lets put the other three up, get these two in their carrying cases, and file the paperwork. Jenna will take them in the clinic to make sure they have their shots and tags." The brunette escorted Rosalie to the desk, where the young girl working there helped her fill out the forms for both kittens.

"Would you like to name them?" the brunette asked.

"One of these kittens will go to my new sister, but I don't know which. Once she decides, could I come back and register them?"

The human smiled. "We can just register their names over the phone, no need to make a second trip for that. Since the paperwork is done, all we have to do is give you the supplies for each kitten, and you are on your way to having two soft bundles of joy. Are you excited?"

"Very." Rosalie smiled as the kittens were brought out. This plan of hers was going perfectly. Just as long as Alice kept her mouth shut, and Edward too, this would be an easy surprise.

Rosalie had a couple of young volunteers help load her BMW - which was automatically there, probably Alice's doing - with the kitten food, bowls, collars, beds, treats, toys, and a litter box kit. Finally, the kittens were strapped into the front passenger seat securely. Rosalie decided to take the drive slower than usual, so as not to scare the kittens. It took an hour, but she was finally back at the house. Only Carlisle and Esme were there, so Rosalie was able to sneak the supplies up into her room. She kept the kittens quiet by feeding them, and since there was nothing that could be done about their miniscule, rapid heartbeats, she sent a text to all her siblings except Bella, telling them to keep quiet when they got home.

Rosalie could not wait for her plan to unfold.


	27. Chapter 25

Edward POV

Bella and I were arriving at the big house, along with Alice, Emmett, and Jasper. Rosalie had disappeared earlier, without a single word as to why. Alice had gone for a minute too, saying Rose had forgotten her car. What was even stranger, though, was the single text from our usually strait forward sister: _When you come back to the house, do not comment on what you hear or smell. It is a surprise for Bella. _

Rosalie had never tried to surprise anyone except Emmett - there was no reason to. And she and Bella, though there was no spite, weren't on the same page, either. What was going on?

I did hear some strange, fluttering noises, like rapid beats of hummingbird wings. And I smelled something young, fresh, and furry. But, as asked, I did not say anything.

Bella, however, was on high alert. "I smell something. I hear... God, what is that? Its like little wings flapping fast." She turned to me. "Don't you hear that?"

I shrugged, letting a small smile escape. Ah, we were along for the ride, as Bella looked around at the others, who also knowingly avoided the question. I amusingly watched Bella stalk up the porch steps, sniffing intently and listening in for the slightest indication.

I tried focusing in on Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie. They were all making sure I didn't know what the surprise was by focusing on other passions. Jasper alerted me to their emotional state - they were all very happy and awed. And he also thought he could feel two other emotions that did not belong to our family at all.

There were two other creatures in that house.

Bella was intent on finding the source, but before we could get any further, Rosalie appeared before us.

"Hey, Bella," she addressed, "I know you smell something different, bit before I show you, I want to say something. In front of everyone."

Carlisle and Esme, quick as a flash, were downstairs with us.

"Bella, at first, I was frightened of you, and jelous of your power. I mean, you can take on multiple vampires, and other werecats. You're also beautiful, and I was jealous. But I realize now that my feelings were misplaced. I apologize, and to make it up and start over, I have something for you." She smiled sweetly, dashed upstairs, and returned to set two small kittens on the floor.

A communal gasp startles the kittens, but they quickly resumed being as cute as possible, rolling around with each other. I could hear all of the admirations, the sentiments of "cute" and "adorable", around the room, except for Bella's thoughts, which remained silent. She was staring intently at the black sock kitten. It stopped roughhousing and met Bella's gaze with the same sort of concentration. They stood there, eyes locked, for several minutes, before the kitten got up, wobbled over to Bella, and with a proud defiance, mewed as loud as it could. Bella picked it up slowly, still looking at it with a serious expression. Their noses met, and they sniffed each other delicately, familiarizing each others scents. Bella let out a wild, throaty purr, and snuggled the kitten close to her chest.

_Yes! Its working! I knew that kitten was hers, it was so wild looking. Plus, I think the munchkin over here is so adorable with its stubby little legs. _Rosalie looked at me knowingly, lighting up as her "plan" came to fruition. I knew she wasn't so used to affection, but these kittens and Bella would be her next steps. It made me proud of her.

I came close to Bella, meaning to gently hug her waist, but when she turned her head towards me, her face was set with wild fury. She hissed, hugging the kitten closer and stepping back from me. Already, as Jasper was relaying to me, her bond with the kitten was incredibly strong and maternal. I took the hint and stood beside Carlisle. All of us knew better than to mess with her. The fiery fierceness in her eyes slowly dissapeared, and she looked at me with sad eyes, setting the kitten down. She walked over and snuggled into my chest, silently asking for forgiveness.

"Its alright, love, I understand. What are you going to name it? Its got to be perfect, because otherwise Emmett will never shut up about it."

"Hey!" came the playful reply by my brother.

Bella thought for a few minutes before cooing the name: "Fabrette."

There was a pause before Alice asked, "Why that name?"

"Because, its the name of the black and white cat that Pepe Le Pew always chased after in the cartoons." Bella replied, stroking the plush fur of her kitten.

"What cartoons?" Esme inquired.

"They were called Loony Tunes, and they had all kinds of characters that were super funny. It was one of those things I could use to get away from it all. Pepe Le Pew was a skunk who was French and loved to woo girls. His stench made them run away, but he thought they were all playing hard to get. And, he always fell for cats who looked like skunks for various reasons. It was silly."

"That sounds like a sweet cartoon. I wonder if we could watch these, see what this suave skunk is all about." Esme ushered us into the living room, where we let Rosalie and Bella sit on the floor with the kittens, and started to search for Pepe Le Pew videos on YouTube, with the main TV as our monitor. We all laughed at the sheer stupidity of the Loony Tunes character, who's infatuation with himself and the ladies was pure and misplaced. Rosalie took to calling her kitten Mocha, saying she had the coloration and energy of one.

"Its kind of absurd, calling her Mocha when you've never had one," Alice pointed out.

"I know that mocha is a particular color now, especially since Esme's the interior decorator, and lets me knows these things. Also, I know that any caffeinated beverage gives boosts of energy. I think I know enough to call her Mocha, Alice."

The pixie sister waved her hand. "Alright, it was just a comment. I guess its a good name."

I could hear Jasper's ruminations about the kittens, how he was worried he would hurt them if he was too thirsty. That is when Fabrette decided to hop up onto his lap, mew contently, and curl up. Jasper froze, and Bella stared intently at him. One false move, I knew, and I would loose a brother.

Jasper moved his hand slowly, wanting to remove the kitten, but Fabrette started to purr. His feelings changed from apprehension to endearment. He settled his hand on her back, and gently pet her. The purring got louder. Bella still kept her eyes on Jasper, but she relaxed slightly. Everyone else settled down a bit, and I heard many musings of how this young kitten could possibly be so comfortable. Most animals hated out kind, and would never want us to get near them. I suspected Bella's presence was what made them so brave.

The rest of the night was spent getting the kittens familiar with each of us. Emmett, of course, made a ridiculous comment on turning the kittens into taxadermied models when they died. Naturally, Bella dragged him outside, away from fragile kittens and furniture, and proceeded to punch him so hard his head nearly came off. Rosalie didn't do anything to stop her, much to everyone's amusement. As violent as they both were, regarding their pasts, it was cute to find they had common ground.

"Don't ever mess with Fabrette, Emmett, or I'll skin you and use you for a rug." my lover hissed at my burly, bear like brother.

"Shit, alright! I promise. Besides, they're too cute to hurt. I love Mocha more, though." Emmett dashed back inside, scooped up Rosalie's kitten, and rubbed his nose in the little fluff's belly. Bella followed, laying out on the floor and curling herself around Fabrette. She snorted as she watched Emmett play with the kitten.

"You're a big 'ole softie, ya know. I've said it before."

"I know, Kitty Cat. But I'm not always this nice. I can rumble with the best of them."

"Is that another challenge?"

"Maybe... Wanna go?"

Bella was already outside, running to the tree line. Emmett followed suit, and soon he was wrestling with a massive white ball of fur. As I watched Bella simply play with Emmett while he gave it his all, Fabrette left Jasper's lap and came to me, jumping up in my arms. I cuddled her close and with just the right amount of strength. She licked my ice cold hand a few times, and looked at me with such big, innocent eyes, I couldn't help but fall in love with her. It made sense, in a way. I had befriended a cat on my first night as a vampire, I hunted and hunted like big cats, and my mate was a werecat. My life was filled with feline friends and family.

Jasper and the girls followed the action outside, while I was content to sit with Fabrette, and eventually Mocha, who took to wrestling with her sister in my arms. Carlisle and Esme shared silent intimacy on the couch, not really paying attention to the TV anymore. There was love everywhere, it seemed, love and happiness. And for once, I was a part of it. No longer was I the bachelor of the Cullens, I was with the most magnificent creature this world could ever produce. It was a blessing and a gift I could never repay.

I heard a playful, bass meow, and when I looked outside I saw that Bella had torn Emmett's leg off. And Emmett was comically hopping on one leg, chasing after her. I laughed, placed the kittens on the ground, and strolled outside. Bella scrambled up a tree, keeping the leg out of Emmett's reach. The tree she was on was swaying and bending with her weight, groaning and creaking. Any large movement Bella did would break the tree.

"Come on, Kitty! Give it back!" Emmett was jumping, on his one leg. He looked like a peg-legged pirate.

She shook her head. The tree groaned some more. "No," she said, muffled behind the appendage.

"Dammit, Bella! I need that leg!"

"For what?"

He pointed at Rosalie. "What do you think?! That leg has been through all kinds of nasty fun! I NEED IT!"

With a look of disgust, Bella spit it out, hitting Emmett in the head. Bella went to grasp a branch for support, but it broke, and she tumbled to the ground with a giant _thud_.

"Ow." She picked herself up, shaking the dirt and leaves out of her fur. She looked over at me with a cheeky smile, and I chuckled.

"Why would you go and take my brother's leg, love? Why would you even put any part of him in your mouth? His hygiene is questionable." I asked, ignoring the comments in my head.

Bella shrugged. Tiny mews alerted me to the kittens wobbling down the porch steps and toward their mommas. Fabrette met Were-Bella with a tiny mew and a hiss, but purred and snuggled up against her massive paw all the same. Mocha leapt into Rosalie's hands, pawing at her golden hair. Bella became animated, gently playing with her little ball of fluff. It was incredibly comical to see such an enormous beast play wth such a miniscule creature. Bella would mew and growl and purr, communicating like a mother would to her kit.

Bella, a mother. The thought warmed my frozen heart. Her and I, together, with a young boy or girl. But, I worried, would Bella want a child? After her mother's treatment, would she want to have a son or daughter, for fear of becoming what she hated most?

And would I be able to handle life as a father? For a century, my life was one of a son and a brother, single, and suddenly I was thrust into a relationship, thinking about our future. Was I too eagar?

Bella must have sensed something troubled me, because she was now right next to me, chuffing like a tiger and nosing my cheek. "What's wrong, babe?"

I laughed it off, so she wouldn't press it. "Just lost in space, love. Are you having fun?"

She took a deep breath, and let it out with a smile. "How could I not? I love Fabrette, I love you," she turned to everyone else, "and I love the whole familia. Para pasar mi vida aquí sería hacer mis sueños realidad."

Her Spanish surprised most of us, but Jasper stepped up with a knowing grin. "Espero contar con usted como mi hermana por toda la eternidad, Bella." His southern accent gave his words a distinct flavor.

"Y me gustaría ser capaz de amar para siempre. Tú eres mi único." I wrapped my arms around her neck, kissing her on the nose.

"Dude!" Emmett yelled, looking clueless. "English, please!"

Bella giggled, as well as a werecat could giggle with the low sound her body made. "In short, I said that living with this family would be great. Jasper and Edward would love that."

Emmett pursed his lips. "That fancy Spanish talk is a waste, Bella. Speak English so we can all understand!"

Bella was about to respond when her ears perked up, and she whipped her head towards the forest. She sniffed the air, and then pulled Fabrette and I back behind her. Soon, I could hear the thudding gallop of something big. We all tensed as it came closer.

About twenty seconds after Bella first heard the footfalls, a gigantic Jaguire burst through the foliage, panting with its mouth wide open. It looked back, fur rising, and I noticed that there were splotches of missing fur and bruised skin all over this beast. Not long after, a vampire came through, hissing and snarling. Her dark brown hair flashed around as she came to a stop.

I heard Jasper's mental recognition, and he stepped forward, both angry and surprised.

"Maria?"


	28. Chapter 26

Bella POV

I was staring a jaguar-looking werecat, slightly smaller than I was, fiercely growling at a brown haired, Spanish looking vampire. Jasper seemed to recognize the vampire, Maria, and I could see Alice getting furious. Was there history between Jasper and this Maria chick?

I wasn't about to find out. Maria attacked the other werecat, and they tussled in the ground. When I saw that Maria was going to bite, I jumped up and smacked her to the ground. Her face cracked with the force of the landing, rendering her paralyzed for the time being. I helped up the werecat, who gave me a thankful nod. But Maria was far from out. She got up, her granite skin sealing back up, and roared at us.

The roar she gave was so human and weak I burst out laughing. She looked at me with fury, but before she could retaliate, I said, "This is a roar, bitch!" I sucked in a gigantic breath, and with quite a bit of force, roared in her face with the strength of a thunderclap, and the sound of a bear mixed with a lion. She was pushed to the ground, frozen in fear. In fact, she trembled and whimpered.

I pounced, took her body in my mouth, and turned to Jasper. I walked over, prodding him in the shoulder. He was off in a trance, maybe remembering something. When he looked at Maria, he changed. It was no longer Jasper who stood here, but someone older, wiser, harder, and scarred. In fact, he snarled, and took off his shirt.

I jumped back, because his chest and arms, once hidden, now revealed hundreds, maybe thousands, of crescent bite marks. Every one evidence of a vampire attempting to kill him. Every one evidence of the death of a vampire. Every one proof of his skill. I was in the presence of a powerhouse. For the first time, I considered him a threat. Not just to me, but to his siblings and adoptive parents as well.

"Maria," he growled. "What are you doing here, so far up north?"

"Chasing that beast scum out of my territory! Now call off yours!" She spat, wincing as I bit down a tad more.

"She's not a beast, Maria. She's the queen of beasts! And she'll crush you if you make a wrong move." He looked at me, and I growled, emphasizing his words. "So, what did this werecat do to you to deserve this?"

"It killed my entire army! Told me to stop, or I'd be next. It was so weak, I figured why not take it out? But the thing is fast! Not my fault it came up here."

"You're not allowed up here, Maria. And you are not allowed to harm Bella, the werecat who killed your army, or any other werecat."

"Says who, traitor?" She spat. I readjusted my bite on her, and both she and her flesh squealed.

"I do. If you hurt any other werecat, you will burn." His stoic, hardened stare made her nervous, though she didn't show it.

"You know wha, Major? Bite me!"

Jasper looked at me, and motioned with his hands for me to break her in half. I nodded, and crunched down. The vampire's torso crumbled and the fabric tore, and she screamed out in agony as her legs and upper half fell to the ground. Her legs twitched once, and stopped. She grabbed the dirt and grass, growling at me. I landed my massive paw on her, immobilizing what was left. I dug my claws in, making her squeal some more.

"No, Maria, I think he's got another girl to nibble on, you shameful little cunt nugget." I made my voice resonate through her. She whimpered, and Jasper smiled, hugging Alice close and kissing her. He didn't look heartless to me anymore, just a bit weathered. He nodded to me, and with a flex of my paw, I shredded the bitch, and she was no more.

I looked back at Jasper, who seemed to be back to normal, but I wasn't quite sure. "Jasper, what was that? I've never seen you so... angry."

"A bit of my old self coming back out. That vampire was Maria, the one who created me. She made me so that I could control her army of newborns, vampires in their first year of life. Very volatile, very strong. With my ability, her army grew fast and stayed large. But with the help of a mated pair in the army, Peter and Charlotte, I escaped. That's when I found Alice. Or, rather, she found me." He kissed his mate again, and she smiled fondly.

"Ok, then." I looked toward the other werecat, who was busy grooming itself to a more healthy status. "Hello. Do you speak English?"

It looked up, and replied, "Yes, señora. I am grateful for your help. I am only just getting the hang of this whole werecat business." He had a thick Brazilian accent, and the way his words sounded made me smile. "You are the vampire's protector?"

I shook my head. "I protect them, sure, but I am actually mated to that one there." I pointed to Edward. "I moved here, and we are together. His family getts the added bonus of my ability to keep them safe. What about you, are you some sort of vampire hunter?"

He shook his head. "Not really. I knew that her army was getting out of control, so I took care of it. I was wounded, so she gave chase. I did not realize how resilient vampires are."

Emmett chuckled. "How young are you, kid?"

"I am fifteen, vampire. A man in our world." The Brazilian gestured to me. "We mature fast, if you did not know." He looked at me. "When did you mature?"

"Uh, I think maybe fourteen. I changed when I was young, not sure what age. I noticed after the first time, I was accelerating in every aspect of the word 'growth.'"

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked with animated curiosity.

"I mean that I didn't grow up slow and normal like most humans. After I changed forms, my body shot through puberty like a rocket. I was well endowed in seventh grade, and well enabled to surpass the most athletic boy in school."

"Fascinating. Bella, do you remember your first monthly cycle?" he asked.

My ears folded back with embarrassment; of course I remembered, it was the worst moment of my life. "Um, yeah, about that... Can we take this somewhere private?"

Edward came close and gently rubbed behind my jaw. It felt good. "What's to be nervous about, love? Carlisle is a doctor, and the rest of the family has had enough education in the medical field to be professional and unbiased about your bodily functions."

I shook my head. "But _that_ day, though, it's... Well, it's not a memory I look fondly at."

Carlisle nodded. "I think you, Edward, maybe the young man over here, and I can go into my office and discuss this further?" I was about to protest the Brazilian but he kept going. "If he knows anything about the female werecat, we need the information. Do you?" He turned to the werecat in question.

"Yes, seiñor. I have many sisters back home in Garanhuns. I know of their powers and their body changes."

Carlisle nodded. "Then you shall come with us. Oh!" He picked up Fabrette and Mocha, who were busy playing with his shoe laces. "Rosalie, would you take these little ones? We don't want them wandering off."

Rosalie nodded, took the kittens, and led Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and Esme into the forest. They were going far enough away to where they wouldn't eavesdrop. I felt slightly better, but not by much. I turned to the other werecat and nosed him into the treeline a little roughly.

"Where are we going, seiñora?"

"We're going to change back so we're human size, and go up to Carlisle's office. You are going to tell us what you know about us females, and then you are to leave. Do you understand?"

His voice fell. "Si. I understand. I would have hoped to stay and get to know you better."

"Well, that ain't gonna happen. You're about to force me into retelling the most painful memory of my life, and I don't want Edward to hear of my moment of weakness." I didn't know if I was talking to him or myself now. Either way, I stood up and changed back. When the Brazilian did the same, I was taken aback. His tan skin was cross-hatched with hundreds of scars, most very old and healed as much as a scar could, some large red welts dealt recently by Maria possibly.

"Uh, well, señiora, shall we?" The Brazilian unwrapped some hide clothes and wore them, and I led him to Carlisle's office after donning my own. Carlisle sat in his chair, while Edward stood behind another facing him. I sat in that chair, waiting.

"Well, now that we're here, how about you introduce yourself, sir." Carlisle gestured to our guest. Edward gripped my shoulders soothingly.

"My name is Santo, I am from Sao Paulo, and I am pleased to meet another of my kind. I come from a family of five, with my mother and my three sisters. We all live with the humans, but we hunt like the jaguire in the jungle."

"Good. Now, tell is what you know of werecats."

"I know about our kind because the knowledge was passed down from my mother, and from her mother, and so on. The female werecat has always been the leader, the figure head of the family. Males take a less dominant role because the females are bigger, stronger, and faster. The females are also the more intelligent, and are outstanding fighters, even when kits. It has been our job to keep the vampires under control, but never to eradicate them. I understand a balance occurs between the humans, the werecats, and the vampires. Human population is kept down by vampires, and we keep the vampires down."

"We check the vampires?" I asked. "But, then, who checks us?"

"We govern ourselves. Or, at least, we used to. There was a royal family, at one time. They ruled justly and fairly until the youngest daughter, filled with jealousy and rage, killed her parents. The older daughter, who would ascend to the throne, banished her sister, and stained her eyes red with the murdered blood of their mother, as a reminder to anyone who came across her that she would never be worthy to rule. Sometime after that, the older sister died. We do not know truly who killed her, but we all believe the younger sister was to blame. Since then, no one has stepped up to take the throne. We have slinked away into the dark, hoping that someone strong enough and brave enough will assert herself."

"What would happen if someone took the throne?" Carlisle asked, leaning in more. I gripped Edward's hand tighter.

"No one knows for sure. The last time we had royal rule, humans knew of our existence, and we were at war. It was not large, and not every human believed we were real, but should the werecats come back into power, we would resume war with humans, if my father is any indication."

"You're father?"

"He used to be the royal general, and had a strong opposition to the growing power of humans. He thought it best to find a way to stabilize their growth and find equilibrium between our two species." Santo looked down pensively. "He might be… how do you say? Sedento de sangue humano."

"Bloodthirsty?" Edward asked, a small smile creeping up on his face. "Forgive me, Santo, there's nothing amusing about that."

I barked a laugh. "Yeah, more like ironic. Are you worried about your father?"

"Yes. I fear, with his power in any possible new kingdom we create, he will try to take control of our warriors and, as he put it, 'set the humans straight'. The world isn't ready for us, or vampires. I would see our rule put fairly, but secretly, until we knew how to approach the young mortals."

I nodded; there was more going on with my kind than I could've thought. "Then why don't you or someone else take up the throne? There's no one stopping you."

"There is hope among those of us who remember the family that a royal might show themselves, although it is highly unlikely, given that the entire royal family is dead. The rest of us fear the idea of a ruling party occurring again. No one wants to confront the very real possibility of dealing with the human threat."

"There is not a single werecat who would take up the mantle? Surely your father would be willing to do so, even if threatening a military state of being." Carlisle offered, a pensive, calculating look on his face.

"He took an oath to only rule should the ruling queen declare military rule, and pass over power to him. It also says that, should the queen no longer be in power, by any means not of her own, that the next ruler in line can authorize this rule."

"Then," Carlisle asked, "If there was a living member of the ruling family alive, and they gave consent to your father, then he would declare martial law, and forcibly overtake humans. This is problematic on a grand scale. There must be a way to eliminate this possibility."

"But, Carlisle, we don't have that power. And even if we went to the Volturi, Aro would use this to his advantage, if he could." Edward argued, stepping forward, examining an old renaissance oil painting. It depicted three men in black robes, and a fourth, golden-haired man in formal, beige attire. I guessed the men in black robes were the Volturi, and the fourth being Carlisle. The artist did a fabulous job, but could never have captured the true beauty of the vampire. I suspected, given the vampire physique, that humans based their beauty ideals on them, without realizing. It made complete sense, anyhow.

"Who are these Volturi, Edward?" I asked.

"They are essentially our ruling body, a coven of vampires who enforce the rule of the Vampire race – secrecy. If that rule is broken, by any means, then they deal out punishment. But Aro, the head of the coven, is power-hungry. He continues to grow his dominance and expand his reach within the vampire world. If he knew of the existence of superior beings, he would do everything he could to eradicate them, as Caius did with the werewolves. The Children of the Moon, so to speak, not like the Quileutes. We cannot let Aro know of you or your kind, Bella, not until we know Aro poses no threat to you."

I stood up and kissed Edward on the cheek. "I didn't think it wise to just walk up to any old large ruling coven and go, 'So, yeah, I'm a badass werecat that can F you up, and we're gonna take over your shit.' That isn't too smart. And, so long as the vampires remain oblivious to us, there's little need to worry."

He smiled, but it didn't reach the corners of his eyes. I knew he was still worried, but he wasn't going to discuss it further. I turned to Santo and asked, "So, what do we as female werecats need to worry about? Living with your sisters, you should know quite a bit."

He nodded. "Yes, Seniora. When you matured, you were in a lot of pain from the bleeding, yes? What happened during that time? I must know, because different women mature in different ways."

I frowned, my heart jumping a little at the memory. "I was in constant pain, all over my body, and constantly shifting back and forth, from one form to another. Renee forced me to stay outside, because she feared I'd ruin the furniture." I hissed. "I couldn't see straight for the entire day, my eyesight kept flipping between human and werecat. I was so dizzy I got sick maybe five times. And there was nothing but acid, since I couldn't eat. Then, the next day, I was numb, and every time I moved, my body wouldn't respond correctly. Brain said 'move your leg!' and my body said 'duh, what is leg? I move this thing with opposable thumb.' It was fucking annoying. I was back to 'normal' by the third day."

Santo nodded, stood up, and started to pace. He took ten minutes to process what I said before looking up at me again. I had managed to be wrapped up in Edward's arms by then. "I believe," Santo responded, finally, "that you are like my oldest sister, Maya. She was violent in her maturing time, as well, but less so than you. My best guess is that you are ready to mate, or shall be soon. You must watch for the pull, if you are not ready. You will go mad because your body will override your conscious desires and focus on… this isn't delicate to say, but to… sexually attack every male you come across."

I balked, removing myself from Edward's embrace. "The hell? I'm gonna wanna screw every guy I walk by? What kind of instinct is that?"

"It's a pretty normal instinct for all animals, Bella," Carlisle interjected. "During a certain period of the year, every animal will instinctually find a partner and mate. Humans and some primates are some of minority who can choose when they wish to mate. What is the cycle for werecats, Santo?"

"There is no cycle, only flares; a female werecat will be in heat whenever their body is truly ready. The longest my sister went mad was maybe…. Two weeks."

"Two weeks?! The fuck?! I can't have sex for two weeks! That's fucking crazy!" I was feeling the chill, and I took a few deep breaths to remain calm. Wasn't working so well. My vision shimmered and became much clearer. I felt the push of my fangs and claws growing through the flesh. The itch of fur growing across my skin. I tried, so hard, to keep it in.

But then my sense of smell got MUCH more sensitive.

I looked at Edward, his visage so beautiful in the little light there was in the office, and really smelled him. His honey/lilac/sunshine smell was so DELISHIOUS! And then there was something else… a primal, earthy scent. Santo. He smelled like wetness and heat and fur and dirt. There was a pull, but not a strong one. Now another scent assaulted me. It was clean, sharp, butter, water, and moonlight. Carlisle, the only other person in the room. My god, I was being pulled in all directions. I was going crazy with each scent I was confronted with. I couldn't take it anymore, I was going to shift.

I rushed out of the room, out into the forest, and stripped. I took off everything but my underwear before I burst into seductive me. But something was different. My senses were so vivid and heightened, my attention zoomed back in on the house, where Edward and the rest of them were rushing out to see what the matter was.

Edward. Shit! He was…. Mine. Mine! MINE!


	29. Chapter 27

Edward POV

I was in a heap of trouble.

I could see Bella, in her beautiful Lust form, staring me down, mouth open, panting hard. Her claws dug into the dirt as she stood on all fours, back arched, tail up. Her eyes portrayed that of a madwoman, crazed beyond sense. I tensed, hoping that she would gain sense back. My family stood or remained still, Jasper testing the waters and relaying to me Bella's emotions; they blew us both away with the sheer amount of lust and want, more so than even Rosalie and Emmett had when Emmett was still a newborn.

Bella stood up slowly. Rising to her full height, one and a half times as tall as the tallest human, with muscles on her body twice as impressive as Emmett's, the massive werecat that stood before me was what Santo had described: a madwoman, consumed by her instincts, with the power to disintegrate a vampire in seconds.

I feared for myself, and all of the men in my family. Any one of us could be her victim, and their mate would go after Bella – unless it was me, then I was either on my own, or would be avenged by the whole of the Cullens.

"Stand back, _vampiro_!" Santo rushed out, his pelt cloth swinging as he stood in front of me. Bella reacted suddenly, hissing and opening her mouth wide, lips past her gums. She sniffed and refocused on Santo, and that's when I noticed a peculiar scent wafting from Santo.

"What is that scent?" I asked him; the scent got worse as I asked, and I held my breath, but something also made me want to fight him and tear him limb from limb. Jasper came to my side and held my shoulder.

"I am distracting her from attacking. She will smell me and find me more appealing than anyone else. That scent is what I give to tell her I am the strongest and the best choice for a mate."

That made me angry. "So she'd have no choice but to choose you!"

Santo turned to me, and even though he was so much younger than me, he had the look of an elder as he said, "You do not understand; she has no choice but to follow her instincts. She is a slave to her body and its wants and needs. You cannot handle her in this state; she will tear you apart. I must be in your place for now, since I can heal even if she were to beat me within an inch of my life, as you might say."

"Son," Carlisle turned to me, "I think it best that Santo take the lead here. He knows more than we do, and I will not lose you or any of my sons to Bella. She may be your mate, but she is uncontrollable, even to herself. She is like the wolves, right now. Would you let her kill one of your brothers, or me, just to allow her release?"

I snarled, smacking Jasper's hand off of me and taking a threatening step toward Carlisle. "No one but I will be her key to that! No one will touch her!" I pushed Santo out of the way and marched toward Bella. Before I could get close, Santo bowled me over, and I rolled a few yards before regaining my posture. Santo stood, stoic and strong, opposing me. I snarled and hissed, my anger rising. How could everyone think this was ok? To take advantage of her while she had no control herself?

"I will fight you, if you do not back down, _vampiro._ I will not risk you dying for the sake of her wellbeing. She will be distraught if she finds that you died for her."

"I won't die! She and I have made love, and I only left with a bite to the neck!"

"You have not been with her in this state! She will tear you apart, _vampiro!_"

"Then I shall put myself together again! You will not lure her away from me! She's mine!"

I heard a low gurgle, and turned to see that Bella had settled back on all fours, turning her head toward Santo and I in turns, intrigued. Another scent hit me hard. It was Bella, but much sweeter and alluring. Bella simultaneously turned to lay on her side, and lifted her leg a bit. Santo shook his head, snorting. I geared up to fight, determined to keep Bella to myself.

"Then you leave me no choice, _vampiro. _Your family shall have to reassemble you when I am done." He crouched, and rushed me. His speed would have been too much, but tapping into his head gave me my advantage. I rushed around him and went to Bella's side, grabbing her attention by stroking her neck and nose. Jasper, honing in on me, pushed Bella's lust further and made mine increase as well. Santo, having turned to see us, ran at me, wanting to push me out of the way.

But Bella wasn't having it. She got up, snarled, and swiped a paw at Santo, knocking him down hard. Then she grabbed me with both large hands, and ran with me. Santo charged after, with Carlisle close behind. Bella sensed the danger, and swung around to barrel into Santo. He was knocked off of his feet and into Carlisle, and then Bella took off again. We ran so fast even my vampire vision had a tough time keeping up with everything that we flew by. For a few minutes Bella ran, never slowing down. But Santo and Carlisle must have given up, because she eventually slowed down and stopped. We were more than likely in northern Canada, because we were surrounded by forests of snow covered trees, untouched even by animals. There was a cave nearby, and Bella marched into it. She sat me down in the back of the cave, and then proceeded to block it up with enormous boulders she grabbed from who knows where.

When it was completely dark, I couldn't see much at all – there was barely any light existing in the cave for me to see with. But I could certainly hear and smell and even somewhat sense Bella's presence. Hearing her mind wasn't too much help when she let me in; it was a tangle of emotions and bodily desires. But I heard her approach me in the dark, and feel her take me in her arms. Her large, velvet furred breasts came up to my face, warm and supple. She roughly forced me onto the floor, her large paws spreading me out until I was completely flat.

I felt her straddle me, forcing her entire weight on me as she growled next to my ear. It wasn't threatening at all, but seductive in a primal, ancient way. Shivers racked me, and Bella began to rip my clothes to shreds, scratching me a bit in the process. Little tracks of venom welled up from my skin, which Bella proceeded to lick up with her rough tongue, groans of pleasure emanating from her. She liked the taste of me – the very thought turned me on. I became rock hard, and Bella could sense it. She wrenched the tatters of what were my clothes off, and lowered her giant head toward my throbbing member. The heat that I could feel as she opened her mouth and just breathed on me was like fire. But it felt so good, my member seemed to get even harder. Then, Bella licked it.

My back arched, but she slammed her paw down on me, keeping me pinned as she continued to pleasure me. I writhed underneath her, and she lifted her head to growl. A warning. I kept still, but it was so difficult to do so. Just as the pleasure was about to peak, she stopped, making me whine. Her head hovered above mine, her mouth open in a menacing snarl. She positioned her boiling hot core above me, and slid over me in a single thrust. I gasped, but she covered my mouth with a paw, her claws digging into my cheeks.

Then she started to ride me. It was slow at first, either her getting used to me or her adjusting the angle, I wasn't sure, but before I knew it, she sped up until I could no longer handle the vibration. My climax was coming, reaching the peak... I blew my load all inside her, and she came to a stop, every inch of her shuddering. There was a few moments of peace, where both of us were panting, taking a moment to compose ourselves. Bella relinquished her hold on me, taking a moment to lap up the venom pooling from the cracks in my face, healing them as she went. I was able to realize some pain by then, but before it really hit, it was gone.

I thought it best, amongst the swimming feelings of primal lust, that my lover may have cooled off enough to be able to make sense. "Bella? Love? Do you hear me?"

In the dark, Bella shifted, still on top of me, still around me. A finger brushed my lips, a claw gently gliding across. Her nose touched mine, cold and wet and velvety. I leaned up and kissed her, softly, with all the love I could muster while still being cautions. She kissed me back just as gently. She mewed, a low, grumbling sound that ran through me. I trembled, still riding the high of ecstasy down from the climax. I believed her to be returning to some sane phase, but then we heard the crashing of foliage. Bella quickly got off and growled, picking me up in her huge paws. I had no way of knowing what was going on, but before I could make a guess, my werecat lover crashed through the blockade she created, and took off.

The bright light startled me, and I curled to her chest. She covered my head and supported my back, and I felt like a newborn baby. I could faintly hear my creator yelling my name, some distance away, and I felt that maybe it was time to try and break Bella out of her instinct-driven desire. I clutched a patch of fur and hauled myself up to her face. I placed a hand upon her cheek, and she looked down, slowing a bit as she concentrated on what I was doing.

"My love, please come back to me. I know you're in there, somewhere. You must stop this before it consumes you."

Reason began to trickle into her eyes, I thought, when she slowed even further and removed the possessive look on her face. I purred, and she came to a halt, softening her gaze and her clutch on me - I was getting through! Her tail brushed my back in a caring manner, and she used a claw to gently fix my hair.

I was going to speak again when we were alerted to the sound of my family rushing toward us. I wriggled out of her grasp, and she snarled, wanting to scoop me up again. I covered myself as I tried to avoid her swipes, as she had her claws out.

_Edward, don't you dare let her get away! _Jasper yelled in my head. I winced, and then ducked under another swipe.

_Edward, we'll be able to bring her back, but it won't be easy, and you might hate yourself, _my pixie sister warned, showing me her vision. My frozen heart cracked a little at what I had to do, but I knew it was the only way to get my Bella back. Screw Santo and his knowledge, I knew my lover better than anyone!

All of my family arrived, including Santo, and Alice nodded to me – it was time to act. I snorted at Bella and waved her off, composing an air of distaste. Bella stopped swiping at me and looked confused. I thought back to disgusting smells and images, pushing them outward, and hoped it would work. Bella snorted and rubbed her nose on the ground, and I knew that it was working. Then Alice began to sensually dance around Bella. She stared, even more confused, as my sister swayed her body like a snake and lustfully touch Bella in different places. Rosalie must have gotten the idea, because she joined Alice, and together they distracted Bella – as well as their mates, from what I heard in their heads, the poor bastards – long enough for the thoughts in her head to begin shifting away from lustful thoughts.

We began to see the fruits of the act when Bella groaned, swaying a little, and shifting back. I ran to her and grabbed her just as she finished and nearly collapsed. She opened her eyes, now with intelligence and reason, and started to pull herself up, covering her nakedness.

"Edward? I… What happened? I saw you, I _smelled _you, and then… oh," she mumbled, and I watched as the recent events unfolded in her head, as she let me see. "Oh, god… Edward, I'm so sorry!" She hugged me tight, and I enveloped her in my arms as she wept. Our family, and Santo, moved out of sight and back to the house, to discuss things while I calmed Bella down.

_Hey, bro, let her know we COMPLETELY understand. _His laugh, echoed in his thoughts, made me smile a little. Oh, I knew we all understood the desire, but only I had seen it in third person view up until mine and Bella's first encounter. To be able to experience it for myself, the rush of desire and pleasure and lust… it was amazing.

"Love, there is nothing to be sorry for. To be perfectly honest, I rather enjoyed the time we had. But, in the future, I'd love it if we picked a better location." I ran my fingers through her hair and pulled her chin up so I could wipe away her tears. She smiled a little and started to fix her hair.

"Yeah? Well, I'd prefer to be conscious and sane while enjoying you." She laughed, and pulled away from me so she could transform into her more wild form. "Come on, smexy," she joked in her bass voice as she lowered herself to the ground so I could swing up onto her back. "Let's get some clothes for me, and continue on with life. And straighten out my frekin hormones!"

"Let's."

She took off, and we ran at a leisurely pace. She, now having her emotions more under control, sprang to and fro from tree to tree, swinging on some like an Olympian gymnast, from others like a monkey in the jungle. I laughed and joined her, leaping around her and catching her when she drifted down, slinging her back up, and she did the same for me, allowing for us to seem to fly among the forest. We were able to get back to the main road, where Jasper waited with his motorcycle and another one similar to his. His smile was mischievous.

"What is this?" I asked as he tossed me a helmet.

"Let's see how fast Bella can go, Brother. Bella, run in the treeline, just so that humans won't notice you. I bet you won't be able to run as fast as my Ducati!"

She nodded, narrowing her eyes. "You're so on. If I win the race, you're gonna owe me a grizzly. Intact, mind you. No bleeding, and alive."

"Fair enough. If I win, you admit you can't run faster than what a human can build."

"Fair!" With that, she took off. Jasper and I quickly revved the Ducatis, and rode off. We got even with Bella, but it didn't seem as if she was straining. So Jasper sped up, and I followed. Bella pushed herself, keeping up with us with some difficulty. Now Jasper goaded the Ducati as fast as it would go, and Bella wasn't giving in, either, meeting his speed. I trailed behind a little, and gasped as Bella pulled ahead, giving Jasper a feline smirk. She disappeared around the bend, and from then on, we couldn't hear her as she melted into the distance.

"Your girl is fucking fast, Edward. I never want to race her again!"

I threw my head back and whooped. "MY GIRL IS BETTER THAN EVERYONE!"

There was a far off yowl, possibly of agreement, from Bella. Jasper whooped along with me. We raced back home, which took us the rest of the night. By the time the sun was rising, we came to a halt in front of the big house. Bella was being groomed with brushes by Rosalie and Alice, while Esme sat in between Bella's massive paws, gently playing with the kittens. Carlisle was speaking to Santo quietly up in his study, writing down everything Santo could divulge. It seemed Santo had mastered speaking quickly – not vampire speed, but close – so as to get as much info to him as possible. Jasper and I parked the bikes in the gargantuan garage, and while Jasper joined Emmett in scheming further tests for my werecat girlfriend, I clambered up on to her back and began to scratch her behind the ears and under the chin.

Something brushed against my mind, and I had the sudden urge to curl up next to Bella's enormous underside. I looked at her, and she turned her head to me, smiling.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Oh, just a theory." Her tail flicked up to defile my hair, and I had to fix it by quickly running my fingers through. She chuckled, a deep throaty sound. At that moment, Carlisle and Santo came out the front door. Carlisle shook the foreign werecat's hand, and then Santo cautiously came up to Bella. I growled, but Alice gave me a look.

"I… apologize to you, _vampiro, _for my actions. It seems Bella is more in control of herself than I realized. For this, and for thinking you were not strong enough to handle your mate. In light of this, I give you something to call me, should you need my help." Santo quickly took his garments off, and shifted into his Jaguar form. He reached into his mouth and yanked a tooth out, handing it to Bella. She took it gingerly in her paw, and that's when I noticed how big she was compared to Santo. It looked as though Santo was 3/4ths her size, her paw bigger than his, her head possibly able to swallow his. It was impressive and slightly bone chilling. It was even more hair raising to see a fully grown beast yank its own tooth out.

"Um… thanks, but how does this…?" she asked, trailing off.

"If you hold it, think of me, and speak, I will hear you. I will also be able to speak to you, so if you need anything of me and my family, you may call upon me, and I will come. I need not fight you to know you are much stronger than I, so I will not challenge your authority. I am your ally." He crossed a closed fist over his chest, then bowed while gently swinging the arm back out, opening his hand.

Bella stood up – I lurching forward and scrambling to hold on as she rose to her full height – and repeated the move. She landed with a thud back on all fours, keeping the tooth in a closed paw, which allowed me to climb back down. "Thank you," she said. "I will keep this close. So long Santo. Take care."

With a nod, Santo took off south, disappearing into the dawn. A few moments later, the area was blasted with light as the sun peaked through the clouds, and sunlight hit us all. Bella's radiance was a more graceful than our brilliant diamond shine, and the sunlight seemed to ripple across her fur with the gentle breeze. There was a lull in the moment, and I hugged Bella's neck close, hoping the days ahead would prove more and more peaceful, and that I could enjoy my time with Bella – however long, or short, that may be.


	30. Author's Letter 3

Hello readers!

I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates in months – I had a bad case of the writer's black bug, and couldn't think of where the story would go after the lemon. I'm happy to say that I have it all figured out, and will be posting the next part of my Werecat Bella Saga within the next week or so. Do not worry, the wolves have not been forgotten – they play a big part in upcoming events. And if there are any suggestions for how the story will twist and turn next, or any clarifications that need to be had, please message me. I look forward to each and every review, as they allow me to flex the story to your liking.

Thank you for your patience, and I will see you in the next tale – Furry and Furious, posted on my page, dragonloverspirit. ENJOY!


	31. Furry and Furious is up!

Hey guys! The first chapter of Furry and Furious is up! Here's the link:

s/11331494/1/Furry-and-Furious

Have fun you guys! Thank you all for reading, for reviewing, and all that jazz. Now go, go read! Some exciting stuff is happening, you're missing it!


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